USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Gracie]

No. I won't love it if we have to leave this area. It's been home for 27 years. I don't want to go driving off to strange places and not know my way around and not know anyone at all. I will miss my birds and my tree where my other furbabies were finally laid to rest (their ashes). My neighbors. My doctor. My vet. My market. My beach. The sound of the seagulls and surf.
But I hope you are right and something good happens.

 

[Ernie S.]

It's 4:40 AM and I've been home about 45 minutes. The party was a smashing success and the Boston Butt got raves from everyone. There was just enough left so my partners and I had enough for a meal. The music was fantastic as always with our favorite band and we had more people and did more business than any night in the 2 years we've been at it.
I'm 66 years old and have never been an especially tough guy. I've survived my unorthodox life style by having a reputation as too damned crazy to get in a tussle with, but I did myself proud tonight.
We had a couple brothers start to go at it about midnight. I happened to be close by and was able to grab up one of them and gain complete control of a 25 year old 2" taller and 50 pounds heavier. As Toby Keith says, I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. It felt good, actually; REAL good, truth be told.

 

[Foxfyre]

It's 4:40 AM and I've been home about 45 minutes. The party was a smashing success and the Boston Butt got raves from everyone. There was just enough left so my partners and I had enough for a meal. The music was fantastic as always with our favorite band and we had more people and did more business than any night in the 2 years we've been at it.
I'm 66 years old and have never been an especially tough guy. I've survived my unorthodox life style by having a reputation as too damned crazy to get in a tussle with, but I did myself proud tonight.
We had a couple brothers start to go at it about midnight. I happened to be close by and was able to grab up one of them and gain complete control of a 25 year old 2" taller and 50 pounds heavier. As Toby Keith says, I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. It felt good, actually; REAL good, truth be told.

It has been frustrating to me as I get older that some of the younger ones look at me as 'too old to be savvy' or whatever they think. I don't have the strength or stamina that I used to have, but I can still do most of what I want to do, and I think I'm still sharp enough to put two and two together and all that. And I know for a fact that the older folks feel just as deeply, love just as much, care just as much, grieve just as much, and enjoy just as much even if we have evolved over time. It is sometimes amusing and sometimes mildly irritating when somebody thinks I couldn't possibly do that or know that or figure something out. There are exceptions though. My 20-something physical therapist doesn't let me get away with ANYTHING just because I'm older and she has believed I was capable of doing stuff I would have sworn I couldn't do. But I did it. And I will be eternally grateful to her for that.

 

[Foxfyre]

No. I won't love it if we have to leave this area. It's been home for 27 years. I don't want to go driving off to strange places and not know my way around and not know anyone at all. I will miss my birds and my tree where my other furbabies were finally laid to rest (their ashes). My neighbors. My doctor. My vet. My market. My beach. The sound of the seagulls and surf.
But I hope you are right and something good happens.

I do understand how hard it will be Gracie. We have been torn away from places and friends and support services we dearly loved (still do) and it is a painful ordeal even when you are young and better equipped physically and emotionally to start over someplace new. You are in an especially difficult position since your support network and family are all in the high cost of living areas. But nothing is ever hopeless. There has to be a good solution for you out there.

 

[froggy]

How about a cup and some catchup news? Lol

 

[froggy]

It's 4:40 AM and I've been home about 45 minutes. The party was a smashing success and the Boston Butt got raves from everyone. There was just enough left so my partners and I had enough for a meal. The music was fantastic as always with our favorite band and we had more people and did more business than any night in the 2 years we've been at it.
I'm 66 years old and have never been an especially tough guy. I've survived my unorthodox life style by having a reputation as too damned crazy to get in a tussle with, but I did myself proud tonight.
We had a couple brothers start to go at it about midnight. I happened to be close by and was able to grab up one of them and gain complete control of a 25 year old 2" taller and 50 pounds heavier. As Toby Keith says, I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was. It felt good, actually; REAL good, truth be told.

It has been frustrating to me as I get older that some of the younger ones look at me as 'too old to be savvy' or whatever they think. I don't have the strength or stamina that I used to have, but I can still do most of what I want to do, and I think I'm still sharp enough to put two and two together and all that. And I know for a fact that the older folks feel just as deeply, love just as much, care just as much, grieve just as much, and enjoy just as much even if we have evolved over time. It is sometimes amusing and sometimes mildly irritating when somebody thinks I couldn't possibly do that or know that or figure something out. There are exceptions though. My 20-something physical therapist doesn't let me get away with ANYTHING just because I'm older and she has believed I was capable of doing stuff I would have sworn I couldn't do. But I did it. And I will be eternally grateful to her for that.

You don't get older only More experienced.

 

[Sherry]

Well hell. The owner of the house told us yesterday that we have until june..maybe july...to find a new abode. He wants his house back. So since yesterday..I have been freaking out. I don't know what we are going to do. I love it here but...can't afford it. Rent for a 2 bedroom is not less than 2000...a 3 bedroom is 2500 to 2800. A 4 bedroom (which this house is now because we converted the garage and built an enclosed patio room on our dime) goes for 3000 up to 5000 PER MONTH. The only way we could survive after I closed my shop and got sick so couldn't work any more and same with MrG, was to make those two extra rooms and rent them out.

So...things have been going smoothly until yesterday. I KNEW when that new roof went up, shit would hit the fan. And it did. We are paying less than the above price for a 2 bedroom and have been here 10 years. He said when we moved in "don't bug me and I won't bug you". So we haven't bugged him. And he has not raised the rent. So we have been doing ok. Roof, food, gas, able to pay utilities but not much else. NOW he wants his house back but at least gave me 4 months to make other arrangements. Problem is....problem number two hit me this afternoon. One of the roomies is giving notice. So that means we can't even pay the agreed upon rent from 10 years ago unless we get another roomie and the new roomie can only live here a scant few months before we ALL have to go.

We don't know what to do. Things are hectic. We have a choice to leave this town we have been in for the past 27 years and where our doctors are and the beach and the small town atmosphere....or we can go south to San Bernardino to a friends house whose husband is a crack head......or northeast to the inlaws where all their kin lives with him stacked in corners in sleeping bags and don't pay the inlaws diddly squat while sucking off their generosity....or live in our cars and stay here on the coast pretty much homeless except living in our vehicles. Even a studio here goes for 900 per month or more and its temporary for college students rental and 1 bedrooms are 1200 per month.

And next month, one less roomie. Oy. Maybe I should be a drunk. Maybe I wouldn't stress so much on what to do or what is going to happen to us.

Prayers, please.

I'm sorry for this upheaval and stress in your life, Gracie. Life has thrown some major curve balls at me, and I chose to live by the philosophy that everything happens for a reason and works out for the best in the end. That sort of faith can be a struggle during the darkest days, but it's never let me down. The light at the end of the tunnel looks far away right now, but I hope by the time you're ringing in 2017, that you'll reflect on your journey and have many blessings to count.

 

[Foxfyre]

How about a cup and some catchup news? Lol

froggy!!! You haven't been here in like forever. Most happy you stopped by. Here's the coffee. . .



And as for news, let's see: It's cold as the dickens some places and warmer than it should be in others, the political campaign is just as nasty this year as it is in every campaign year, folks are moving around a lot per usual, and corny jokes are still corny but fun. So all is well with you?

 

[froggy]

How about a cup and some catchup news? Lol

froggy!!! You haven't been here in like forever. Most happy you stopped by. Here's the coffee. . .



And as for news, let's see: It's cold as the dickens some places and warmer than it should be in others, the political campaign is just as nasty this year as it is in every campaign year, folks are moving around a lot per usual, and corny jokes are still corny but fun. So all is well with you?

Yes doing great, glad to hear from you. And I hope all is well with. Thanks for the news.

 

[froggy]

Well hell. The owner of the house told us yesterday that we have until june..maybe july...to find a new abode. He wants his house back. So since yesterday..I have been freaking out. I don't know what we are going to do. I love it here but...can't afford it. Rent for a 2 bedroom is not less than 2000...a 3 bedroom is 2500 to 2800. A 4 bedroom (which this house is now because we converted the garage and built an enclosed patio room on our dime) goes for 3000 up to 5000 PER MONTH. The only way we could survive after I closed my shop and got sick so couldn't work any more and same with MrG, was to make those two extra rooms and rent them out.

So...things have been going smoothly until yesterday. I KNEW when that new roof went up, shit would hit the fan. And it did. We are paying less than the above price for a 2 bedroom and have been here 10 years. He said when we moved in "don't bug me and I won't bug you". So we haven't bugged him. And he has not raised the rent. So we have been doing ok. Roof, food, gas, able to pay utilities but not much else. NOW he wants his house back but at least gave me 4 months to make other arrangements. Problem is....problem number two hit me this afternoon. One of the roomies is giving notice. So that means we can't even pay the agreed upon rent from 10 years ago unless we get another roomie and the new roomie can only live here a scant few months before we ALL have to go.

We don't know what to do. Things are hectic. We have a choice to leave this town we have been in for the past 27 years and where our doctors are and the beach and the small town atmosphere....or we can go south to San Bernardino to a friends house whose husband is a crack head......or northeast to the inlaws where all their kin lives with him stacked in corners in sleeping bags and don't pay the inlaws diddly squat while sucking off their generosity....or live in our cars and stay here on the coast pretty much homeless except living in our vehicles. Even a studio here goes for 900 per month or more and its temporary for college students rental and 1 bedrooms are 1200 per month.

And next month, one less roomie. Oy. Maybe I should be a drunk. Maybe I wouldn't stress so much on what to do or what is going to happen to us.

Prayers, please.

I'm sorry for this upheaval and stress in your life, Gracie. Life has thrown some major curve balls at me, and I chose to live by the philosophy that everything happens for a reason and works out for the best in the end. That sort of faith can be a struggle during the darkest days, but it's never let me down. The light at the end of the tunnel looks far away right now, but I hope by the time you're ringing in 2017, that you'll reflect on your journey and have many blessings to count.

Amen!

 

[Gracie]

We have a place to go. It is "the back up" home of my friend and her husband in San Bernardino. In the meantime....I'm still working on plans A, B, C and D.
I figure if this is happening...there must be a reason for it and we are to go along with the flow. God helps those who help themselves....so I'm trying to stay in this locale but if I keep hitting dead ends...then I know I need to stop the inevitable and go where we are being led.
At least it's summer! Beats having to do this in winter.

So..gather stuff I really really don't need or want....and having a huge yard sale. And MrG is selling his 4 banger truck to get a stronger one and we might go ahead and look for a perma spot to plant it. Good thing we are already used to small places, eh?

 

[blackhawk]

 

[froggy]

This old coffee shops been here for quite a while nothing better than coming in to a good place and having to cup of friendship and reminiscing

 

[Foxfyre]

This old coffee shops been here for quite a while nothing better than coming in to a good place and having to cup of friendship and reminiscing

It will have been going strong for six years on May 4.

 

[Montrovant]

I'm tired. Been on Craigslist I think in 5 or 6 states and just about every town looking for what is affordable. Got some places saved for delving deeper. Going to be looking at further east of us, past colorado maybe towards ark, ok, maybe upper texas. There HAS to be a smallish town somewhere not in the middle of a desert with scorpions, cactus, tumble weeds. If I can't have ocean...I need GREEN.

I have a plan. A temporary one, but..I won't know if it will come to fruitation but it may give us more time to hunt. If not...then we plan to have a big sale and get rid of everything we do not need, store the rest in a storage unit here at "home base" town, then take off on a super road trip and check out the places I marked down as "potentials". Gonna sell the pcs and get a laptop and share it. 2 hours for MrG, 2 hours for me, back and forth. We were going to get a trailer but I don't want the hassle of pulling it. We will just wagon train it with me and the stuff we need in the van (ice chest, small hibachi or small coleman stove for soup), maybe a tent to attach to the van for campgrounds and MrG in his truck backed up or next to the van. I am slowly putting plan A, plan B, plan C together. But I still have a headache and I can't get MrG to eat a damn thing. I cooked him an egg and he finally ate it on top of some toast. Me, I have eaten once today. Just not hungry.

We are too fucking old for this shit.

I know it's clear across the country, but you might look at somewhere in Florida. Lower cost of living, no state taxes to file, plenty of places near the Gulf or the ocean, no especially cold weather. You might be able to find an area at least similar to where you are now that is much more affordable.

 

[blackhawk]

 

[blackhawk]

 

[Kat]

 

[Gracie]

I just checked. Prices in Florida are the same as here.

 

[Montrovant]

I just checked. Prices in Florida are the same as here.

Where in Florida did you check? I rented a 3 bedroom house with a couple of friends about 7-8 years ago for, I think, $1300 a month. After that, when I started as a nanny, I was in another 3 bedroom for about the same price for another year or so. The first place was in Tampa, the second in New Port Richey, which is close to Tampa.

I'm not certain, but I think you might be able to do similar prices in the Jacksonville area on the other coast.

I don't know what costs are like in the panhandle or further to the south.