Minor Update - Dec 07

Healthwise I am doing pretty well. The plastics Doctor (Anderson) is pleased with the closing of the open chest wound and the 'Wound Vac' device that I was carrying around 24/7 for about 2 months is to be returned shortly, having done its job very well. I have some dental problems that will soon be fixed and after that it is only a few more visits and I will be able to go to Florida for the rest of the winter. I am still driving the 2002 Ford XLT Explorer, still well under 50,000 miles on it and no one but me and various repair people have ever sat in it.

I plan to ignore Xmas (as usual), although I did buy myself a gift for the holiday. A new watch by Swiss Army for $450.50, had it sent out and I am wearing it now. My other watch is a Sieko which I got about 11 years ago at the downtown Miami Burdines for about the same amount. It still works but isn't water resistant anymore. The Rolex from 1982 or thereabouts stopped over a year ago and to fix it would cost around $1300, so that was ruled out as an option and it remains in the safe, not that anyone would come out ahead if it were stolen as they would only get a broken watch!


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Back from India

I had a successful surgery in India and returned to the USA only to come down with an infection resulting in 16 days in 2 local hospitals and bills of about 50K.

For the last four weeks and for another four I will be carrying around a device called a 'wound vac' which is inserted into the would and sealed up and the debris is removed from the wound resulting in a much quicker healing of the wound than would otherwise be possible.

Shown here is the 7" open wound - this is where they cut to go in and put in the heart valve in India and subsequently it had to be 'debrided', or scooped out to get rid of the infection. Now it must fill in from bottom to top with new flesh.

Also while in India 3 days before I was to return my rooms cabinet was broken into and all my money and documents were stolen, incl 10k in travelers checks (which were refunded) and it took another 9 days to get a temp. US passport to return to the USA. My costs in India were about 15K.
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Heart Valve Operation is Over!

Back Oct 15th From 22 days in India. The operation was well done, but due to a breakin of my room and the theft of my briefcase I ended up spending an additional 8 days at the hospital. It took that long to arrange for a new flight and new passport.

Presently I feel like warmed over dog poo but it may get better. I will probably remain here in Kennesaw until early Dec. then go on to Panama City for the winter.

Leaving Sunday

A few shots of my Kennesaw place.
Left in my Will to Mary F. Bridge of Nv.

   

It is nice to have a big pool!

 
A few photos of our pool here at Nautilus Cove in Panama City and 2 of the unit. 
 
 

61 yrs old today! June 27th

Today I am back in my Florida condo, I was at 'home' in Kennesaw for ten days but got back yesterday with a car full of stuff for the new condo.

The below photo just shows the place is still standing, while the plants are doing well the grass suffers from the lack of rain.

I did notice on my 'site meter' for this blog that I had visitors from Ontario, Canada, and also New Zeland and Malaysia, don't know how they wandered in here but "Welcome" to any and all who do end up here. Remember, this blog is not intended to be entertaining or informative, it is just a personal blog where I now and then record some photos etc.


Oh yeah, today I am 61 years old, not a big event in my life. I don't think anything of importance ever took place on June 27th, even Custers Last Stand was on June 25th (1876).

















This photo just shows what has gone up near my subdivision, earlier in the blog there is a photo of the construction mess, so this is a follow up to show what was actually put up. It is a typical strip mall sort of shopping center. It looks like a small branch bank is going in but can't tell what else might end up there. I was hoping for a nice sit down restaurant but none of these store fronts are big enough for that sort of restaurant, I guess we might end up with a cleaners and some take away sandwich shop.

Getting Ready To Occupy the New Condo

May 17th, had the blinds were changed today, better wood ones replaced the vertical plastic ones, the windows were tinted last week. For just the 5 windows I paid a bit over $1,000!





















The living room furniture, sofa, loveseat and chair with 2 tables are now in place. Also last week the bedroom set was delivered. I have 2 items, a chair and a book case in the 2nd bedroom 'office'.

Condo Purchase in Florida - May 2007

The unit I purchased is a ground floor end unit. 3 bedroom, 2 baths, granite countertops and a largish heated pool. This is a nice condo but not a top of the line one, for instance there is no patio or garage and the bedrooms are about 12 x 11 1/2. I don't need 3 bedrooms but it is easier to resell a 3 bedroom rather than a 2, so I am just planning ahead.

For some time I have been interested in having a condo in Florida. I looked in the St. Augustine/Jacksonville area a few years ago and saw nothing of interest.

Then there were 4 hurricanes hitting Florida the same year and I gave up on the idea for a bit. I wintered in Panama City this past year, renting a 1/1 condo for 7 months and while there I looked again and came up with this new condo development.

I decided to make an offer and got it at what I consider a favorable price of $165,900 which was $4,000 less than was asked, so I am now a condo owner in PC.

These are some interior shots of the place before I put in furniture and generally get it messed up.

I took out a Home Equity Line of Credit Loan against my fully paid for home in Kennesaw so that I could pay 'cash' on this unit rather than go for a conventional mortgage and all the paperwork that would go with it.

I found that my 'credit score' was a 772 which is considered to be 'excellent'. Always nice to know.

I plan to spend about six months here and six in Kennesaw.

Now I have to get some furniture arranged for and have been going to various local stores. I will most likely spend about $5,000 on stuff for the place living room, 1 bedroom, office stuff for the 2nd bedroom and a washer and dryer. I will not furnish the 3rd bedroom and the 2nd bedroom will be an 'office'.

I am considering a roll top desk and chair for the dining area as I don't have any use for just a table and 4 chairs sitting there. I don't know 3 other people and if I did the chances are I wouldn't want them hanging around my dining room anyway.

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Chipola College, Marianna, Florida

Chipola College today, when I attended in 1964-5 it was Chipola Junior College, just a 2 year school, now it is a full 4 year college.

Panama City Florida

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This is a photo looking North down Route 98 Business, in the heart of the 'old town' section of PC. It runs right past my window a bit down the road. Behind me is the bay and to my left is a fancy new condo complex and the dock area with various charter fishing boats and a nice Bay view.


This is just me, I stopped by a local park which is right on St. Andrews Bay next to the 'old town' section of Panama City and just 2 1/2 miles from my rented condo.

Below is me in the park next to 98 and the old town dock area.
The Pacific Coast Time Is:

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Renting a condo in Fla. for 7 months.

I finally got tired of the Georgia winters, so this year I decided to be a 'snow bird' and winter in Florida this year at a condo in Panama City. I am just one county away from Chipola College where I went to school my freshman year (1964-5). I have both a mug and sweatshirt from there that I got on a prior visit to the campus.
I rented it furnished but of course brought down some of my own minor items. The rent is $795 a month for 7 months. Paid the security and first month in cash to the realtor. In yesterdays paper I saw that she had been arrested for stealing $35,000 in cash from her realty company over the last 6 months! Fortunately I got a receipt for my cash payment so I should be OK.
The complex was built in 1969 and has about 200 units, it was initially a rental complex but changed to condos about 2 years ago. My unit is only a 1 bedroom 1 bath which sort of explains the lower price. There are 2 pools on the property, this is right next door to my building, but it isn't heated so not usable for about 3/4's of the time I will be here.
There is a king size bed and while there were 2 TV's supplied I brought my own (in photo) and my own DVD/VCR player from Georgia. While the complex is right on St. Andrews Bay, my unit is on the opposite end and just has a view of the parking lot and street. I am about 340 miles from 'home' in Kennesaw, have been back there once and will of course go back several times over the 7 months of the rental.

Some photos from today (Sept 10, 2006) of the house. Just had the grass cut and the flowers in the planters are doing well.


 

August 2006 Photos From Around The House

Here are a couple of photos from around the house. The above shows my efforts to dress up the place with some flowers in the front.
The yard has been a bit of a problem this year with so many days in the 90's and only a bit of rain. The north side strip of lawn is kaput and I will be putting down 400 lbs. of dirt and grass seed this Labor Day 'weekend' to get things back to normal.

The garage always looks like Fred Sandford's Junk Yard, good thing I just have the one Ford Explorer to park there, a second vehicle wouldn't fit! 

New Construction Near Our Subdivision

About 2 yrs ago the zoning for the property between our subdivision and the main road was changed to commercial and now the trees have been taken down for a strip mall to be put in on that property. The owners who abut that developing property are of course unhappy and were up in arms two years ago when the change was proposed. It does not bother me at all as I am on the opposite side of the 54 home subdivision, I just hope that they put in a good sit down restaurant!

 

Came across these so I will post them here.

Just tossed in a couple of extra photos of me around the house. Nothing special about them. I have a lawn service for the grass at $35 a cut and a cleaning service which comes in for 2 hrs work every four weeks for $105. Might as well spend a few bucks, can't take it with me, or so I am told.

Obviously the top one is me in the kitchen and the bottom is me on the North side of my backyard.