Monday, January 07, 2008

Monday

Work was kind of crappy today. I ended up getting a lot done but personality clashes were frustrating today. Also, a co-worker announced that her daughter was pregnant and another's daughter JUST had a baby boy over the Christmas holiday. I can be happy for them but I still have a hard time not feeling sad and jealous.

Bob and I went to the Timberwolves game yesterday. It was on OK time. I'm not a huge basketball fan but there is enough going during the game to divert and hold my attention. Seriously, when did basketball become the sport of fans with ADD? There is constantly music playing, screens flashing, and the game. During time outs and quarter breaks there is entertainment. We saw the team dancers, a breakdance team, a magic act, a hoops contest, and other filler. It was kind of crazy. Our basketball team is an embarrassment right now. But we played the Mavericks and they had an amazing blond Adonis on their team that really played well. He was fun to watch. Not surprisingly we lost the game. I think the final score was 78-101.

I had physical therapy today. It went OK. My ankle is actually still a little swollen but is doing quite well. My range of motion isn't quite what it is on the right ankle but the therapist gave me some exercises to do and I go back on Wednesday for another evaluation. I also see her on Monday and from there we will reassess. I can also go without the boot though I'm to have it with me in case I get tired and need the support. I can also go back to driving my own car. Bob will be glad to have his van back.

I think I need to talk about why we are thinking/planning/desiring moving. Bob is in a wheelchair. He cannot walk or stand on his own for more than a few steps/minutes at a time. He definitely cannot stand or walk in snow or ice. He cannot move his wheelchair through unplowed or unshoveled snow which renders him housebound for a lot of the winter months. He is at his best health-wise when he an get outside in the sunshine for at least a half hour a day. When it's snowy and cold he does not get outside. We want to move to a sunnier, warmer place so his health can improve. Since he does not work, he needs a kind of place where he can get outside and maybe even find a ministry with which to volunteer.

We picked Florida because we have visited there often. We like it. We feel at home there. We also picked it because we both love and adore the ocean. There is nowhere better to find a home near the ocean in warmth and sun than Florida. The cost of living is better than California and my company has offices there. I am looking on our online job board and applying for openings there. If I get one of those, my insurance, 401K, pay, seniority, etc will transfer. If I don't get a job with my company, I have several other options open.

When I was 22, I moved out to the East coast and lived there 3 1/2 years. It wasn't easy. It wasn't the same. It wasn't what I was used to but I loved it and I did it. Bob has never lived anywhere but here and is a little more nervous about all of this than I am. I've done it before and know it can be done.

We don't have friends in Florida. Yet. We do have some family in one of the areas we are looking into and that would be nice. However Bob is not particularly close to his family and my family lives far enough away that I only see them about 4 times a year anyway. Both of us are friendly, outgoing people and make friends pretty easily. We are not worried about moving somewhere and making new friends.

As to the changing weather...well, we have that here too. The temp can be 95 degrees and in 30 minutes it can drop to 60. Or, in the case of last week, it can be as high as 20 one day and 40 the next. We have snow, ice, tornadoes, torrential rain and flooding, high winds, hail, sleet, etc. No matter where you live you have to contend with Mother Nature. We just want to live somewhere with warm weather near an ocean. Florida fits the bill for us.

Oh, I sent emails to some of the pastors of the churches I found online and one of them answered! He sent a lovely email and said he'd be praying for us. He also gave me his home phone number and said we could call him if we had more questions about the area, their church, or anything else. How nice.

Yeah, we've not worried.

2 comments:

Dawn said...

Your plan to move to Florida is great! I'd move there (from PA) in a heartbeat if it weren't for my job. I HATE the cold and snow, and we do get that here. I keep saying I'll move there when I'm old, but that's at least 25 years down the road. :-(

black and white and read all over said...

That is a big move. But you are so strong, and so supportive of each other, that I know it will be a great transition. You are always in my prayers!