Ruth and I are heading south on Sunday. We’re going back to our Florida home for the winter. We’ve owned our Michigan condo for almost a year and have adjusted to this new type of living. We’ve made some new friends, kept in touch with old ones, hosted several visitors and overnight guests, and rekindled a friendship that started over forty years ago. That’s all good.
It took us about two months to settle in after we arrived last May. There was furniture still on back order, boxes to unpack, pictures to hang, decorative shelving to order and assemble, dining room chairs that needed the same, and cupboards and counter tops that needed to be ordered and professionally installed in Ruth’s new craft area. It’s all done.
I was consulted regarding most of the purchases, but I learned a long time ago that Ruth sees things I don’t see. She’s got a great eye for design and determining what goes with what. My major focus is comfort. If it’s comfortable, and we can afford what she likes, I’m good to go. I wasn’t always so receptive to her decisions, but with age comes wisdom. I’m happier when she’s happy.
Our biggest challenge was Ruth’s craft area. We wanted to complete this as fast as possible, so we ordered “stock” cabinets and counters. We were told we could get them in three days, so we moved forward, but forward included waiting ten days for someone to measure the area for a custom fit. After the ten day wait, the three day countdown began. The cabinets were indeed delivered three days later, but were damaged. We had to wait another three days for replacements. The week-end extended the three days. The countertops followed a similar pattern. By the time the replacements arrived, the installation guy moved on to other jobs. Long story short, it took two months to finish the job.
We’re organized as best we can. The challenge is remembering what we put where.
It hasn’t been all work here. I had the opportunity to meet some new guys “at the club”. I played golf every Wednesday and entered a couple of team tournaments. The first was in May where my team finished second and the second was in August where my team finished first. I’m not bragging just reporting. It seems I play my best when something’s on the line, and I have good players on my team.
I also played with some guys from Canadian Lakes. They have a nine hole “drop-in” league every Tuesday. They go “off campus” the third Wednesday of every month to play eighteen. I played a few times and enjoyed the new courses.
I plan to take a couple weeks off from golf. We’ll be traveling for a week so I won’t be playing. I’m scheduling several appointments when we first arrive which will extend my break. I’ve been dealing with plantar fasciitis for over a month, so I’m focusing on getting that fixed. I’m told time and patience are key. While I have time, my patience is wearing thin. I’ve done my best to keep my issue to myself, but some days are truly worse than others. It’s affected how I walk and play golf. I’m hoping some time away from the links helps a bit.
I just don’t want my golf game to deteriorate to this point.
Time will tell.