Florence Point. Has a touch of the archaic in it. Sounds like a place where old people may assemble when the world has long forgotten them. “Florence”, not a name you hear much anymore. If we check birth registries I bet no child has been burdened with that moniker in the last 100 years. If any of you out there know a Florence please alert me. Of course, it was the name of Susan’s grandmother, and it’s becoming more and more apparent that cherished memories of their strong attachment are the only rationale for us purchasing our new home on Florence Point Drive in Fernandina Beach. Yet……….there is a spectacular sunset view over the intercostal waterway which our realtor told us money couldn’t buy. It turns out he was wrong about that. It can be bought and then there is an opportunity to buy much, much more.
I trust you have all heard of buyer’s remorse. Well that’s not what I have. My condition is not yet completely diagnosed. It’s a sensation that I get in the middle of the night when I realize that we closed on the house just a week ago and have since interviewed three contractors, three pool installation companies, three water treatment salesmen, two arborists for tree removal, an insulation specialist, a landscape designer, an insurance salesman, the previous owner’s yard guy, the cable guy and some friendly drop-ins from somewhere who want us to join their church – if only they knew. Tomorrow we get to meet with our first architect and another arborist for yet another estimate. This does not begin to cover the number of appointments that have been made and canceled with other insurance salesmen and popcorn ceiling removal guys. This is not fiction! I always knew that Susan had exceptional telephone keypad skills but her performance this week is olympic quality – this list does not include calls she has made that I don’t know about! We also have Florida driver’s licenses, a new bank account, voter registration cards and library cards. Some believe that you move to Florida to sit on the beach and read………ha!
The glitch here is that everyone is tooooo busy. We’ll have to wait three months for architect plans. Then have the jobs bid out and wait for three to five months for contractors to have open schedules. Then endure an indeterminate amount of time for the job to get done while contractors beg their sub-contractors to show up for the job. Florida is the wild west. Everyone is super busy yet they all have all the time in the world to share their life stories and detail how honest they are while warning us that there is no one else in Florida that we should trust. Another thing that could test a northerner’s weakened grasp on sanity is that here, they don’t make a ten o’clock appointment. They make a ten to eleven appointment which means – sometime before noon!
The more time I spend here though, the more comfortable I get. I mean, what part of this would you want to change?
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Aside from it being an aesthetic smorgasbord of delight, we have the place comfortably furnished with two beach chairs, an inflatable mattress and a counter stool that I had the foresight to bring from Ithaca which bears a striking resemblance to a small step ladder…………I’m getting a bit tired and will soon extricate myself from my beach chair and head to bed for a night of comforting dreams and towering expectations for the day ahead – with the additional expectation that there will be significantly less air in the mattress come morning. You can trust me on that!
It all sounds crazy but Susan says those who know us would not expect less …… or did she say more?
Until I Grump again………………
I had a student named “Florence” when I taught in Baltimore. I was 22 or 23 (?) and since I taught 9th grade, she must have been 13 or 14! I think that’s within the 100 year parameter!! “Florence” makes me think of Italy – as does Naples and Venice…hmmm.
This is the Fernandina Beach Pavillion… “Fernandina is purportedly the original name of Cuba…and claims to be the oldest city in the US!! Have fun!!
Good Idea. I’ll think Italy. We are having fun. Some kind of fun?
Yay! Escape from New York!
Thanks for your activity report, Jim. We want to see the outside, too, please.
Given the fact you are a “hands on ” guy, I’m surprised you are turning to contractors – retirement indeed. And about time, that is unless you decide that given how busy they all are and that as the lack of honesty prevails, a new career opportunity has opened for you.
Congratulations on the Florida license, giving you the right to drive for hours with the left hand turn signal on and to blithely go through red lights with merely a doff of the hat from a nearby officer.
The ” before ” shots of the new home look encouraging; be sure to consult with me early on re the guest suite amenity package.
Indeed, just as our old friend Dr. Pangloss would say, it appears you and Susan have found the best of all possible worlds.
Did Cameron know the Baveye sisters in Ithaca? Mimi and Florence (aka Flo) were at IHS and played soccer and lacrosse. I learned how to say Florence with her mother Francoise’s lovely accent, even when cheering on the Little Red!
Mais bien sur! Leave it to the French!
I’m not sure if Cameron knew them but I will try to remember to ask him.
How can we come to visit you when I can’t find Florence on the map? Help,help !!
Jane G. Murphy