<p>Enjoyed a few inches of snow in Atlanta today! Beautiful, and little stuck to the roads or walkways, so no shovelling! Older s is visiting friends in Tx, and they are ont ehir way to visit younger s in NOLA. Older s’s friend, who is doing the driving, apparently had a car accident on his way into town to pick up the group going to NOLA. No one hurt, thank heavens, but havent heard the details. Some Mardi Gras events in NOLA cancelled) or scaled back) due to cold. But I have no doubt they will party on!</p>
<p>Another reason for not retiring to the Midwest or Northeast. My wife slipped on some black ice last night and dislocated her shoulder. It was put back in place today at one of the UW Hospital’s urgent care clinics. Great and kind doctors/nurses in Madison. The heavy duty medication has knocked her out. </p>
<p>There are drawbacks everywhere: taxes; weather; people; economics. A good part of the final decision will be based on where our son winds up.</p>
<p>I do enjoy watching the beach shows from Costa Rica and Belize on House Hunters International.</p>
<p>Barron’s: agree with your wife about Virginia outside of Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax Counties.</p>
<p>At least you folks are getting mail.</p>
<p>Last time our neighborhood saw a mailperson was Feb 5. And our streets were clear Monday Tuesday, Thursday and today. </p>
<p>The USPS claims they’re out delivering, but no one comes. And now it is a long weekend. Can’t believe it will be almost 2 weeks before we see mail!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>We originally thought we would relocate eventually to where one of our kids went…but they are a “moving target”. I don’t suspect they will live in one place all of their adult lives like we did. It would be wonderful to be near them…but more important for us is what we are looking for in the future: accessiblity to good health care/doctors/hospitals, nearness to a decent airport, good cultural ops (we like music, drama, art), decent weather but with at least a little change in seasons (minimal snow), and costs that are within our means as retirees. Right now, that’s looking like NC…but we’ll see. We are very partial to the Winston Salem area…we really enjoy it there.</p>
<p>tsdad - I am sorry about your wife. :(</p>
<p>newmassdad - go online and stop your mail. put in that you will pick it up at the post office on Monday. you should be able to get it at the post office then.
I imagine when they finally get to you they will not deliver it all at once but hold out the 3rd class (who cares about that anyway?) and deliver it later.</p>
<p>Yesterday the UPS guy came to my work and said his truck had more on it then than at Christmas.</p>
<p>Jym - you must not have gotten as much as we did. Our streets are covered. Woke up this morning to cars crunching along through the ice.</p>
<p>Good morning, binx. The roads are icy over here this morning. Still now newspaper delivery, whicchis a bigger frustration. The snow stuck to the lawns, shrubs and trees-- maybe 3 inches,I am guessing? But the roads, driveways and sidewalks dont have as much. Just ice.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>DH and I are having the very same thoughts, thumper1. Although we’ve never been to Asheville, we keep romanticizing the idea of building a log cabin there and enjoying UNC-Asheville, the cultural outlets, and the natural beauty of the area. But then when I think about never truly getting to know my future grandkids… Saw that happen to my inlaws who moved to Florida. Sigh. Just can’t stop wrestling with this decision.</p>
<p>Asheville is a beautiful area, worrywort. But you won’t entirely escape the snow, if that is an issue for you.</p>
<p>OK, I have no interest in spending winters on a frozen tundra…but I do like this area and we have family here. Plus, I have a feeling our son will want to settle here. Sooo…we will probably keep our main residence here (probably downsized) and perhaps buy a modest second home someplace warm. If we can’t afford that, then we will RENT someplace warm for a few months…although I’m concerned about lack of community with that type of transient lifestyle. </p>
<p>WW…the log cabin sounds nice. We have a remote little cabin in the mountains right now…terrific as an escape…but I don’t think I’d want to live there full time. It’s a short drive to a neat little town with artists and good restaurants, but I don’t think it’s enough…plus it’s TOO COLD.</p>
<p>^^ Hendersonville???</p>
<p>I’m with you, worrywart & thumper. We would really like to be near at least one of our kids, but who knows where that’ll be or for how long. We also like the idea of being near a college to take advantage of cultural opportunities. And we also saw my inlaws move to FL & have practically no relationship with their grandchildren, which is something we definitely don’t want to happen to us. We’re getting to the age where we can’t keep putting off this decision.</p>
<p>toneranger, thanks for the reality check. You see, in my fantasy, the cabin has all of the luxury amenities that I’ve never been able to afford and I’ve got a freelance arrangement with UNC-Asheville, so that provides some mental stimulation and a tidy little income.</p>
<p>H and I love the area we live in , but we are 14 hours from family and have always wished the grandparents lived closer. I have said many times that I would like to retire near my kids so that they will not have this happen to them.</p>
<p>As for the cabin in the woods thing…uh, that’s exactly what my parents did. Dad loves it, Mom not so much. It’s very isolating and with getting older and health problems, the disadvantages are becoming clear. I keep pointing this out to H who would love to retire on “land”, while I fantasize about living in a condo.</p>
<p>Schools are cancelled tomorrow for our county! They still haven’t been completely cleared. My daughter actually wailed when she heard that. She says she can’t wait to get back! (That is a first for my D!!!)</p>
<p>OMG! Another Blizzard on the way. This time from PA up through New England. Just when the snow was starting to melt.</p>
<p>And a high wind advisory, can’t forget that :-)<br>
At least today’s precipitation was rain, that would have been a foot or more had it been snow. I’ve been out on medical leave all month. my office was closed 2 days so they weren’t charged as sick leave. I DO NOT like SNOW.</p>
<p>Ugh…no more…my yard looks like a mix between a swamp and a tornado zone…please. please storm ,go out to sea</p>
<p>Sorry, I’m rooting for one more big storm. Gotta use that new snow blower I bought just before the last storm! :)</p>
<p>My yard looks like a big mud pit and my dog has been lookin really ragedy. I have to keep a bucket of water at the front door to clean him off when he comes in.</p>