Leaving SWFL

[Choctaw_fan]

Tomorrow I head to Navarre to close on my new home. My son will get stationed there in mid-August. It will be great to be back in the panhandle. And, I won't miss the snowbirds! Pray no hurricanes hit there after I move back. They had record numbers when I lived there before.

The knees are working great but I still have issues with my back which hinders my mobility. I think a walk on Navarre beach several times a week will fix that. If not, I will be very close to the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze. Dr. Andrews has done wonders with athletes. Hopefully, he can do the same for me!

 

[DarterBlue2]

Choc, hope you enjoy being home in the Panhandle. Exercise the back slowly and it should work out just fine.

 

[Silver King]

That's great Choc that you get to be near your son, family is most important. Have a safe trip "home."

 

[anon_00zx5879k0jmw]

Choc hot water bathes is your best bet for the back. Hot water brings fresh blood into the muscles and spine that is needed. Best of luck

 

[Choctaw_fan]

I fell on the ice in northern Virginia 4 times. Since there were no visible bone breaks, I didn't go to the doctor. I know my spine is riddled with arthritis. The shoulders have it too. I'm not sure how much home remedies will help. I have considered a hot tub.

 

[Silver King]

Chic you're just like a lot of us old war horses on here!

 

[Choctaw_fan]

Yes! Ancient and hurting all over?

I'm officially a Florida homeowner again. Can't wait to file for that homestead exemption and to claim interest on my taxes. Because this is a new home, I pay lower taxes this year. My monthly payment is $550 less then my rent would have been starting in June. My lease had a 5% annual increase built in. Even when I'm taxed on the full amount, it will only add $150 a month.

 

[Silver King]

Good stuff, happy for you.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

I have decided that moving is a young person's game. It almost killed me. As always, I had more items to carry than what fit in the car. Now I'll have to buy a new round of cleaning products.

I will check out the dates in the spring games here in the panhandle. Let me know if anyone is interested in a particular team. I think Navarre will be good again and hope Choctaw found some fresh talent. They struggled last year. I

f the furniture doesn't get here tomorrow, I'm going to Navarre Beach. Plenty of parking and not many spring breakers!

 

[Roadkillav8r]

Welcome back home.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

Thanks!

My son is being relocated here, also. He just put an offer on a house right near Navarre High School and I'm not far away. We may get to several games next year. I'm going to try to get him to go to a game at Choctaw, too. His former teacher is the stadium announcer and several of his coaches are still there.

 

[Silver King]

That's going to be fun for you Choc!

 

[Neutral 0bserver]

Hot water brings fresh blood into the muscles and spine that is needed. Best of luck

Important note to HardeeWildcatFan: Nu'Trelle know you just tryin to help Choctaw_fan, but if Arcadia got blood in they hot water, call the water department immediately. Somethin bad wrong wiff your damn hot water. Nomsayin?

 

[Choctaw_fan]

SK, I supported all the panhandle teams at one time or another. Right now, Choctaw is really bad and Navarre is really good. I can cheer for the Raiders except when they compete against Choctaw!

 

[Silver King]

How about Destin or Ft Walton? My older sis and her family live up that way.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

How are the towns or how is that team? The kids who live in Destin are in the Ft Walton Beach school district but many have their own "beamers" and take the toll bridge over to Niceville. We know they are good year after year. Ft Walton fell into a slump, fired their longtime coach, and has never recovered. This could be another poor year for them.

As for the towns, I found a major difference between NW Florida and SW Florida. The city streets aren't as pretty. We have signs all up and down the streets to help you find what your're looking for. Naples would find that undignified. While SW Florida is prettier, NW Florida is friendlier and there's no red tide on the beaches except for a short time in October. Anything south of the Caloosahatchie has had issues all year long!

This area is no place fancy but middle class families can afford to vacation here. I already have family asking me when they can come visit. It's 14 hours from where they all live in St Louis.

 

[Silver King]

My sister's kids went to Ft Walton, I believe. That was back in the 80s/90s. No athletes.

Naples is more than a tad pretentious, Punta Gorda Isles is that way here also.

But Punta Gorda, and Charlotte Harbor are great places to raise kids along the Peace River. I get to look at it every day - no condos, no houses, just mangrove islands about 2/3 a mile across the river.

It's still essentially the same sight I have frozen in my mind of great huge billowing clouds out towards the east that descend in colors of white, green and blue/brown of the river that I first saw as a 4 year old arriving here.It was wonder an amazement looking at it, and the mullet jumping and tarpon rolling.

That was right down the street where my recently retired FDNY father, who built sight unseen on the river, retired to in 1958. My late wife Joyce was house shopping while I was off on yachts and she found this one, seven lots down from that house. I've been blessed to grow old on this river, and raise my kids here.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

You are so lucky. I really wanted to live there but the new homes I was looking at went up $10k in 2 months because Babcock Ranch had raised their prices.

It's very clear to me that they don't want middle class families there. And, I had enough from the rich snowbirds. I'm very happy with my decision. Rode my trike up to the house my son is buying. It's only 2 miles away!

 

[Silver King]

Yeah, my three are all within 3 miles of me. Two of them bought houses two blocks apart.

 

[Roadkillav8r]

Choc, I'm sure you already know this, we live in Niceville and haven't locked our doors in 20 years, Navarre is pretty much the same. My kids grew up and never had a key to the house. First key they had to a door was when they went to school at UCF. Might have something to do with all the armed military folks in the area.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

I always locked my doors. Even in the far suburbs of St Louis we used locks. The cars might not have been locked then but the house always was. We didn't have much but we protected what we did have.

I still keep the doors locked even during the day. Doing that kind of scares me if I have a medical emergency. I can call 911 using my Apple Watch but I need to get a lock with the keypad so they can get in without destroying the door.

 

[anon_00zx5879k0jmw]

There are electronic locks that u can unlock with your phone. Look into investing into one of those they don't cost much at all.

 

[Choctaw_fan]

Thanks! I will.