Throughout our working years we (almost) always started our day with having breakfast together (eggs and toast for Rudy and coffee for me). And while at the table we would chat. Discuss the events of the previous day. I would ask Rudy “what’s your function” (for those who remember The Electric Company this was the ditty for a “conjunction”). What it meant for us was: what’s your agenda for the day? What’s on the roster? What time are we regrouping for dinner? Etc.

Now, however, it’s another story. The dynamics have been blown apart. No more packed lunch. No more commute. No more work. Now it’s all play.

Last April when our lives took a complete u-turn, we decided that we would pause and reflect for a year. Not engage in any community activities such as volunteering or poli-related. Not take on any work. Not commit to anything long term period. It would be a year of discovery and exploration. A year to evaluate our new purpose and passion.

So we were “fired” and downsized our residence all on the same day. April 30 2018.

Very quickly and efficiently we were able to do the paperwork: change address, car stuff, insurance stuff. Paper work without paper – hello digital world. The other more subtle changes were easy: join a fitness facility (we chose the Y); find a decent car mechanic; find pet services; find an NP; find a nail salon. All of the essentials. Easy stuff. Our temporary “function” was to re-set our lives in a new locale.

We started exploring our new community and getting into the local scene. It’s a really weird place since their are so many mature adults (seniors) and therefore a lot of action takes place earlier than usual. For example live entertainment often starts at 7 pm. We love it. The same group of adults are also mostly very active. So Rudy was able to join a hockey team and there’s tons of classes at the Y for me. The other thing we started to enjoy was the local breweries and wineries. Since we like to cook at home (there’s an abundance of markets and local food vendors) going to a local libation producer without food service means they’re often pet friendly. We like to bring Molly with us as much as possible plus she’s super social.

I also got a new bike. There are hiking/biking trails galore! We also have a kayak… the jury’s still out on that. So lots of active things to do. And much more time for our hobbies like reading and playing games.

But we decided to become snowbirds. No more harsh winters as long as possible. So we rented a place for January to March. We are south presently and leave in 29 days. Driving back to the north (hopefully it’s not great and white). I had a lot of reservations about spending 3 months away from home. The obvious ones: parents, dog related concerns. And the more nagging unknown elements: would we be completely bored??

I canvassed other seasoned snow birds about their experiences and in particular how you deal with boredom. Mostly I was told how great the shopping is with the abundance of flea markets and malls. I was told the dining options are great. I was told there’s lots to do. The shopping and eating scared me, frankly. We are much less consumer- oriented (I think that happens when you toss so much stuff in a move) and we love to cook so dining out us definitely the exception rather than the norm.

However I was pleasantly surprised. After the first week or two of “vacation brain” wore off and turned into “oh, wow, we live here”, the routine started to emerge. It was a modified repeat of what we had done st home only s few months ago. Finding new resources and suppliers. It all fell into place very quickly and smoothly. I joined a yoga studio. Rudy joined a gym. We found a fabulous biking trail. Nails. Check. Car wash. Check. Food vendors. Check. Our gem of a find was our pickle ball group. We wanted to play at home but the reception we got at the Y was less than welcoming. In fact, we got the cold shoulder. We were newbies and they were a clique.

Not so in Auburndale. We were warmly welcomed and they even coached us along. We play two days a week for about 2.5 hours. We love it and plan to carry on at home. Look out clique people: we aren’t newbies anymore!! The camaraderie has been exceptional. Every Tuesday and Thursday between 40 and 80 players ranging in age from 50-ish to 80-ish turn out to play at varying levels all for fun. You are encouraged to get a name tag which helps to communicate personally. And everyone is friendly and helpful and encouraging. Really the gem of our snowbird experience.

Essentially we have duplicated our northern life. Minus the weather.

So our function typically includes a routine of breakfast, dog walk (depending on the temperature we go longer or shorter), fitness activity (golf, yoga, pickle ball, biking) home for lunch or a pit stop en route, clean up and lounge (swim, shower) another dog walk, dinner and then an evening activity (sporting event, music, Netflix or, like tonight, a skinny dip then tunes and wine under the stars on our patio.

We’ve settled in. We are snowbirds. See you next year.

Hello spring.

There’s just something about the cuisine of the south that screams bbq. There is no shortage of great places to tempt your cravings in this area.

So far we have tried a few. We love the places that are pet friendly. Molly is such a great traveller and always likes the attention she gets from everyone. Especially since most dogs we’ve come across are purse size. There are many great venues both indoor and outdoor that welcome furry family members.

The craft breweries are cool. Mostly they are in off beat locations with industrio themes. But The Swan in Lakeland has indoor and outdoor seating near downtown and across from the lake. It’s fabulous. We also really enjoyed the Grove Roots brew pub in Winter Haven. They have a bbq food truck out front and Luce music.

Ovation Bistro has been our go to when we decide on the spur of the moment. Their outdoor patio is a breezy spot to enjoy local beers and great food. The last couple of times they’ve also featured live music. Their servers are super friendly and always make sure Molly has water.

Last night we tried the Mannys Chophouse. We attempted on a Friday night a few weeks ago but the line up was tremendous! We decided in order to avoid the lines we would go at opening time which is 4 pm. Crazy right? We arrive at 4:20 pm; the parking lot is almost and there are a few parties ahead of us waiting to be seated. What!?

Once we are shown to our seats we take in the surroundings… retro “junk” is everywhere. License plates, signs, posters not a bare piece of wall or ceiling to be found. There’s an old fashioned help yourself to popcorn machine and the place is buzzing in general. Every table is taken. Our server, Pearl (that’s right, Leah, an actual Pearl. And she was young and spunky!) gives us menus and offers drinks. Bails orders a Margarita and Rudy and I order red wine.

While we start perusing the menu Pearl comes back with our drinks. Two of each for everyone. It’s happy hour. Oh man.

We’ve decided on our dinners. It’s the early bird special menu (now we are starting to clue in) from 4 pm to 6 pm. Bails orders steak, Rudy gets ribs and I’m in for prime rib. Rare. Oh ya. Our dinner specials come with a side as well as warm rolls with cinnamon butter and bottomless salad. I see a doggy bag in our future. The rolls show up first. They are warm and yeasty with a light glaze. The butter is delicious. It tasted like apple jacks cereal. Wow.

Then the bowl (a large stainless mixing type) of salad arrives. Pearl tosses the mixture of iceberg, diced tomato and cukes, red onion, hard boiled egg, sourdough croutons and creamy ranch dressing. OMG. I could have stopped right there. The perfect meal. But then the entrees arrive. Whoa! The hugest baked potatoes loaded with cheese, sour cream and butter accompany our protein.

In the mean time, the table next to us receives their dessert. Death by chocolate. A huge (think fish bowl) vessel of ice cream and brownies smothered in chocolate syrup and whipped cream. There’s no way.

Rudy orders another red wine (which is 2) and Bails volunteers to help. I guess I’m driving.

We can’t finish our meals. Dessert is out of the question. Take out containers please. We fill 4 of them. What!?

The bill is a whopping $78. We are blown away. We totally get the line ups. We will totally be back. At 4 pm. With empty stomachs.

Florida. F@@k yeah!!

Spring has sprung in the south. I can’t believe the array of colours and varieties of plant life. Retirement affords the luxury of time to stop and smell the flowers. Which we did today.

As you know, we play pickle ball (aka gherkin Ballen… thanks, Teen) two days a week. Today was pickle ball day. And since Rudy had a post match appointment, Bails and I decided to check out a few places we’ve been eying.

One such landmark was The Barn. This is a low key building that does, in fact, look like a barn. It’s in the country en route to pickle ball and the parking lot is always packed. Curiosity has been a strong lure. Today was the day. We parked in the full lot and entered the closest door.

Behold an antique market that was beautifully staged and smelled accordingly (channel an old attic) but we were the only two in the place. Except for the lonely clerk who we asked. She laughingly tells us it’s lunch time. Oh. Okay. We don’t get the gist.

So we enjoy the antiques and stained glass and meander through the displays which are lovely and historical and (in some cases) creepy. The aisle takes us through another area which is a pseudo gift shop (there’s no arrows like at IKEA, but the path is obvious even though it’s like we are in the run on sentence of buildings). We eventually get the gist of the clerks comment.

There’s a tea room-esq resto that’s packed. It’s in a part of the barn that has an outdoor covered porch. Overlooking the pond/river. Covered in vines. And smelling divine!

On the other side of the cafe is the actual gift shop and gardens. A smorgasbord of kitsch for the home and garden. All nestled amid the colours and textures of spring in bloom. In February. I’m blown away.

Flower power!

Ok. Seriously. Who has time to blog when you’re retiring at the speed of life!? There’s only so many (waking) hours in a day!!

One of the things we truly enjoy is a baseball game in the old fashioned outdoor stadium. We both played baseball as kids and adults and still relish (think hotdogs) the crack of the bat and the vibe of the crowd. Coming to Florida the spring training of the majors was a definite must do. Rudy booked tickets for opening day at the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland (about a 25 min drive for us). An afternoon game against the Phillies.

And a perfect day it was. Gorgeous sunny Sunday afternoon about 80F. Parking across the road from the stadium in the church parking lot: $5.00. Ice cold water to take into the game (just don’t open it before you enter): $1.00

Seats in the hot sun in left field next to the foul line. Game on. Bring on the peanuts and popcorn. And beer. American anthem with everyone on their feet facing the flag. Everyone. No exceptions. And a WWII veteran throwing the first pitch. A quintessentially American prideful event. We loved every minute.

After the 4th inning we rise for America the Beautiful. And head for a shady seat. We are getting scorched. As in sunburnt. Oh man. It’s February and we are at an outdoor ball game. It doesn’t get any better. Seriously.

Even though the Tigers are getting whipped we stay to the 7th inning do we can sing the traditional baseball anthem.

Let’s play ball!

… Is everyday.

Today we gathered in our Florida driveway at an (ungodly) early hour to send off my sister her partner and my folks as they journey back to the North Pole (aka Ontario). As they drove off waving I thought about how great my family is. I’m one of the lucky ones who gets a family that I would also choose as friends.

We had so many chuckles in our few days together that my sides literally hurt. As with most family discussions eventually turn to bodily functions. But the lively dialogue is also interesting and informative (when it’s not in the gutter … and even then I discovered a few useful tips about spinach).

I’m finding that retirement provides the luxury of doing more listening than talking. For some reason (I may have a more profound notion about this in the future) not working and the related adrenaline surge allows me to redirect my emotions into reflection and observation instead of angst. As it turns out I like what others have to say and am content (more so than before) to sit and take it in without formulating a response while someone’s talking. I really like hearing diverse perspectives on a variety of topics. I may not agree but it’s still engaging and thought provoking.

For example we had a robust discussion about reparations after WWII. The war is one of my dads more favourite topics; he lived it, after all. My husband is a Civil War buff so battle talk is of interest to him too. Everyone can have a take on war – something that’s plagued our planet since the beginning of time. My uncle visiting from Berlin has a globalist perspective on wars. It was an intense debate. In the end I realized that there are some opinions that are firmly entrenched and can not be swayed. Your perspective and reality rule your consciousness.

I really believe that this theory applies to everything. If you try liver and hate it, you have a firm and deep conviction about liver and may never try it again. But what if someone were to prepare it so deliciously that you ate it and enjoyed it without knowing? Can our thoughts be tricked into certain patterns based on our experience and reality? I might have to go back to Psych101 and pay more attention; I never appreciated the usefulness or relevance the first time.

And that is the beauty of family debates. No matter the opinions of the others (as long as not criminal or immoral) you can agree to disagree and still love each other. I think that’s problematic in society; the who’s side are you on or polarization can lead to devastating results. We need more love.

Here’s some things I know about my family:

1. If I need help anytime or anywhere I know help would be there. No questions asked.

2. Time and space are irrelevant- when we connect we connect completely as though we haven’t skipped a beat.

3. Respect is honest empathy for one another. We always consider each others feelings and situations.

4. Bowel movements are good conversation pieces.

5. Hearing aids are marvellous. But not for everyone.

6. Personal hygiene and grooming are not personal in a family setting. It’s all fair game. Clipping. Trimming. Braiding. All of it.

7. A pool is a great venue for dodgeball. And races. And impromptu aquafit classes.

8. The ocean is a great place for a scavenger hunt. Especially for prescription sunglasses.

9. Gurken Ballen is a thing.

10. Girls rule at card games. And most other things for that matter.

So here’s a great summation to the day: as my family drove off Rudy asked if I was ok. He kissed me and we took Molly for a walk. Without even saying a word he totally got it.

Happy Family Day. With love.

My uncle and aunt (Peter and Edi) are visiting from Berlin. Since our scheduling was a little bungled we asked them if they would accept a research mission to pass some time during the day. We really enjoy live entertainment on a night out and have been unsuccessful in finding good places in the area of Florida we are staying. So Peter and Edi accepted the mission to venture to Lakeland (about 30 min) to find some options.

We rendezvoused as planned in the late afternoon and the mission was a success. We would be trying drinks at The Swan brewery followed by drinks, tapas and live music at the Pink Piano.

The Swan turned out to be an immediate hit because it’s pet friendly (we make special note of these places) and the amazing sunset over the lake added allure as well. There was a huge outdoor event tent out front to provide an al fresco eating area as they feature a resident food truck. Both inside and outside were busy. It was trivia night.

We head into the bar and grab four seats in front of the massive digital menu (2 large screen TVs mounted on the wall) where dozens of craft beers are described. The hipster bartenders pass out modified license plates that will hold the tasting flights and a slip of paper where you can choose up to 4 beers to sample. The selection is mind boggling. With our choices made we ask the bartender if anyone can give us the 411 on the brewery. Moments later a chipper dude invites us into the brew tank area for an info session. We are joined by the owner (a former male nurse) who, along with chipper dude, is responsible for brewing. We hear the story of IPA and it’s beginnings and the history of beer in general among other interesting facts such as how they got their name. A fanciful tale in itself that would make the queen smile.

Beers and knowledge consumed we head to the Pink Piano. A 3 minute drive down the street.

Our researchers advise that there’s parking out back and we head into the entirely empty bar. The owner is just setting up. He assures us that we will not be alone for long. Clearly we weren’t dealing with the seniors early bird specials. It’s open mic night, he informs us. So we order drinks (Soda for me the DD) and “tapas”. I use quotations here to denote that tapas in this Florida establishment refers to an interesting type of charcuterie plate with the best pickles I’ve ever eaten. We raise a glass to the (now routine) Florida cheer and watch the first entertainer set up.

James, an unassuming young man with a scruffy semi-beard and plumber pants takes the stage. Don’t judge a book by the cover … this guy can play! Great bluegrass session that ended when more entertainment arrived. Turns out James was also the stage manager.

A mature man, neatly dressed and coiffed, approaches us. Hi … I’m Cal he says. A bit of small talk and we see him move along to chat with the owner. We assume he’s on staff or otherwise connected. He then sits and seems to study sheets of paper. I comment that he looks like he’s getting ready for an exam. Odd.

Back to the stage. The next act up is a comedian. A white guy with a non-descript dress code and tousled hair. He manoeuvres the mic. Clears his throat and nervously begins his story about an ant crawling up his pants and biting his penis. He laughs at his story as he tells it and his laugh is funnier than the story. Good for him for trying. He’s probably the jokster and funny man at every party and social gathering. Then someone (amid uproarious laughter no doubt) told him he was a comedian and should try stand-up. Gulp.

Polite clapping and applause. Our next entertainer is a poet.

Cal walks with purpose to the stage and gets set. Our group exchanges raised eyebrows. What? Cal proceeds to ruffle his sheets and provide a muffled intro to his first poetic selection. He starts reading from his sheets in a soft (he’s not speaking into the mic because it’s not set up correctly) voice but his sheets are so creased and the light so dim he can’t read it. We watch in agony for the man and, I’m sure, everyone in the bar (which is now quite full) wanted to put an end to the embarrassment.

But James steps up to the bar mid monotone stanza and adjusts the mic and holds the flashlight onto the well worn sheets. There are two more poems. The next poem is about a love affair between two prime numbers; one of the primes was thwarted by an even number. So strange yet compelling. Credit is given to the authors of the poems. Grateful applause: the act is over. I jokingly tell Rudy that I could get up and do “Harriet” from the movie So I Married an Axe Murderer.

No. There’s one more poem and the author is Cal himself. It’s entitled “The Cellphone”. He begins the poem slightly more animated ( because it’s familiar material?) and the gist is a passionate love affair between his cellphone and money clip in his pocket. Completely bizarre.

Cal leaves the stage. And the Pink Piano. Leaving me to wonder if his poetic debut has inspired new material. It is Valentine’s Day after all.

I need a drink.

When your parents immigrate from Germany and don’t speak a word of English, there’s always some fun around the linguistics. Even after 60 years.

German, while sometimes guttural to listen to, is relatively easy to learn. Once you know the alphabet you can pronounce the words when you see the spelling. There are a few idiosyncrasies as you might expect (such as … when 2 vowels go walking the 2nd one does the talking – based on the way the letters sound in English; for example “drei” is pronounced “dry”). It’s pretty easy to catch on especially when your uncle has a name like “Heinz “. In English that pronunciation could go one of many ways …. and it’s exactly that which has through the years provided endless giggles and even confusion.

My mom pronounces her “th” sounds like an “s”. Therefore the number 3 would, for my mom, be sree. My dad on the other hand, turns his “th” into a “t”. So his 3 is “tree”. This phenomenon occurs also with the letter “s” because Germans would pronounce it “sh”. For example, my folks live in Stratford. To them it’s “Shrutfort” (in German the letter “a” is “ah”).

So much fun.

For years we have laughed about the name Liaison (as in College) since my dad insisted on calling it “Layzeeon”. This drove my mom crazy for some reason. Even though she was the culprit behind “vuht duh?” which was her take on “what the?”

Language wasn’t the only cultural anomaly as we also had to deal with cuisine issues. Can you imagine your parents not knowing what KD is!? Or having schnitzel and potato salad in your school lunch. The Pop Shoppe was a thing for other kids but we had Sprudel with flavouring concentrate. Wow.

Football is soccer. Until you marry a football player who doesn’t get soccer. Mountains are found in Collingwood or Hamilton unless you grew up near the Alps. So many incomparable comparisons. It’s been a lifelong if exchanging information and experiences.

Luckily my parents are adventurous to a point and moved around the globe to settle in Canada. We are so grateful and proud.

Yesterday I was reunited with my parents who I haven’t seen in person for about 6 weeks (I call almost daily just to check in) and it was as though no time had passed at all. Same feeling as seeing my aunt and uncle from Berlin (haven’t seen them in person in a couple of years) …. and my sister and brother in law …. same. It’s weird how when your connected to someone’s soul that they are actually with you every day. You think about them and memories are vividly recalled at any time. I think retirement allows you the opportunity to let the fond memories flow at will since your brain power is not clogged with the banalities of work matters.

At the “reunion” my brother in law asked my husband what we do as snowbirds. My husband relayed his thoughts to me later I. The day since I wasn’t in on the first conversation. It made me pause for a minute and I had this notion. We are living the life we would in Canada in the summer. Instead of hibernating in the winter months due to lousy weather we are able to repeat summer: biking, swimming, walking the dog, bbq, golfing …. lounging outside with a good book. Our roommate Sharon has taken more of the tourist approach – trying to pack in as many new sights as possible. That’s certainly another route to go. But I don’t feel like a tourist. I have my pack (man and dog) and everyday is an adventure. I’ve added yoga and pickleball to the routine and I’m grateful for the extra summer. I love wearing my flip flops.

It’s raining here today. But I’m sure the rain is soft and warm. I get the weather reports from home and it’s been raining there, too. There’s a huge difference in rain quality. One where it’s essential to keeping the flora lush and green. One where it wreaks havoc on roads and walkways causing an abrupt halt to life outside. I used to love a school closure … now I love reading about it from my warm perch.

We met up with old (as in former; not aged) friends yesterday at dinner. They have been snowbirds for several years now so they shared some of their wisdom with us (to be continued over dinner at our place tomorrow). A few nuggets that we are happily adopting:

1. If you’re spending more than $5 for a bottle of wine you’re paying too much. Our current favourite is a cab sauv from California for $2.97 per bottle.

2. If you’re going to places where dogs aren’t allowed it’s not the best place and people aren’t as nice. True. Dog people are the best kind of people. When Molly doesn’t like someone it’s a good clue.

3. If you want to buy property outside Canada (Florida) you have a lot less hassle if it’s a modular home. Great tip but the rental program works for us.

4. The best meals are at non-chain establishments. We enjoy cooking at home but when we head out it’s great to get home-style cooking. Yesterday we met for dinner at Ovation which has southern bbq and is pet friendly. Bonus: live entertainment.

I think my dad sums it up best. When I asked him how he was doing he smiled (dimples and all) and said: life is good.

The captain is always right.

It doesn’t get much better. When you’re schedule is full of leisure and you’re skipping wintry winter, how do you up the ante?

Take a cruise.

The utter luxury of being pampered is knee-weakening. No beds to make. No meals to cook. Just sun, books and relaxation. But here’s the best part: no connectivity.

Don’t get me wrong, I love knowing that my friends and family are a-ok and getting a few gossipy tidbits is always good too. But the notifications (even when your device is on silent) can be annoying. So we were cruising for 5 days and decided to really go off the grid. First time ever. No communication. No calls or emails or texts. For 5 whole days.

Today when we docked I turned my device on. Ding. Buzz. Ding. Vibrate. Buzz. Ding. Ding. Wow! What the heck!? Is everyone ok!?

I quickly scroll through the messages and seek out the VIPs: Bails and Tina. Whew. All good. Nothing doing. Good thing my phone message says (essentially) : don’t try leaving a message it’s been disabled. I’m going to leave that on forever. I can’t stand voice mail. Texts are so much more palatable and point form.

So what we’re all the other messages?!? Turns out that it was 99% adverts. Not used to the American marketing way where your email is exploited and used as a commodity. When you buy anything there’s always a ploy to get your email. Or go to a bar or resto and use the wifi. Or fill in a form to buy theatre tickets. Your email is necessary to “login” … so as a result I have several events that may be of interest, a variety of super bowl party options, discount coupons, a better nights sleep, advice on the housing market. And how did anyone know I googled dog liver snacks!? Geesh.

I need a degree in computer science to monitor my on line privacy.

It was a great five days of being unaware. I’m glad the planet is still revolving for now. And that my VIPs are intact. Also good to know that the groundhog did not see his shadow.

PS happy birthday grandma ❤️ – you would be 97 today.

It’s sunny and warm. At the end of January. What could be wrong!? In spite of waking up every day to glorious sunshine, today was slightly different. For Rudy.

Somehow Molly knows that waking me from a deep sleep at 5am is perilous and naughty. So when the need arises, she purposefully paws at the right person. Rudy gets the nudge. And in haste quickly leaps out of bed with Molly in tow and heads for the outdoors. Molly lives her slumber almost as much as me so when she stirs at the wee hours it can only spell “Pooh”.

By the time I wake at 8 am or so I get the full details on what was a speedy trip to the neighbours yard for a liquidy bm. Thank goodness for the cloak of darkness. Hard to bag the runs.

So what’s the issue!?

We suspect it’s the new kibble. I only brought 1 huge bag of her favourite from home so this week I had to resource a new brand (she loves nutrience which is a PC product) so we chose a similar recipe from Costco. Presently we are mixing the two kibbles in her daily meals. And have noticed a looser stool (up to this mornings offerings of course).

But it could also be the prime rib bones. Which she pulverizes and eats whole. Yes. This week, with the cooler temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s; or high teens if your a metric) we hosted a dinner party with prime rib. Yummy. But perhaps the bone-in variety was not the best decision.

Last night we left her relaxing in front of HGTV while we ventured out to Disney Springs. (Which we highly recommend BTW). It wouldn’t be revenge diarrhea!? My doggy wouldn’t do that especially since we bought her a princess collar and pink bandanna. Nah.

A good time was had by all. I wonder what Rudy would say.