0 minutes ago  6 comments

Water Wings

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and concern. We're dry! Ok not totally dry but damp AND not flooded. We live in very old community (and even older home!) and it appears our FL settlers avoided the swamps for a reason.

Some of the newer (wealthier) areas are completely flooded. They drained a fair amount of land inland and created drainage fields/retention ponds. Not good for record rain fall. Yeaaa for lower middle class living!

Today I ventured out to the store for milk and it was uneventful. Thank goodness. I think later I’ll venture to the indoor playground thingy. I’m desperate. Hopefully I’ll get back to work tomorrow. We’re slated to make up our rain days over several off days in the next month. The Surfer is back at work today and I’m sure surfing some ‘slop’ this afternoon. 

Anyhow – some had asked for pictures I’ll post mine this afternoon (as soon as I figure out how to plug in the damn thing again)… but here are the really interesting photo blogs on our local TV and paper web sites: (For Ylimemagic )

Local TV http://www.wesh.com/slideshow/17214522/detail.html

Local Paper http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

PS We never did lose power. Or loosen it for that matter. I spent a lot of time on the web. Shopping. Damn ETSY.

0 minutes ago  5 comments

Hunker Day 2

Soooo Fay made land fall last night. We're thankful that so far it's been uneventful for the US (deaths in DR and Haiti). It weakened over night so when it made it's way to FL it was Tropical Storm (not a hurricane). We're very thankful. Today for us will be lots of wind and rain... My office gave the day off (think snow day) and I'm at home with El D. The Surfer was asked to come in help secure the school and surf store... So far so good! Just have cabin fever and it's only 8:30AM. Oh and keep your fingers crossed we don't lose power (for long)! That is the SUCKIEST part.

0 minutes ago  15 comments

Off the grid…

So me, the Surfer and El Destructo are starting our plan to get off the grid. Frankly - I’m excited, relieved, anxious, thrilled, hopeful… but most of all scared absolutely shitless.

The offgrid plan is that our boat The Sea Shack (30ft sailboat) will be taken by The Surfer and his best friend (French Hippy) for extended cruising. This could last from 2-3 yrs starting next year some time. In the mean time I'll be downsizing our life. Selling our house, one of the cars, etc… we'll also fly (as $$$ will allow) to visit The Surfer in what ever far off land he and French Hippy have landed. Then the sailboat will be sold for a larger sailboat for the family. Then we will officially become a 'live aboard' family for some period of time.

We have a A LOT to do to get ready. Oh say like selling all your worldly goods, learning ocean survival… and teaching your 5 yr old too (El Destructo's estimated age when we leave)…

I'm wrestling daily with our choices… for El Destructo mainly. I want him to have exposure to life outside of small town USA… but in bubble wrap if possible. Over coming my own fears and anxieties will be a large part of this process. Not to mention effectively being a single full time working parent whilst The Surfer fulfills a life long dream and gets the sea experience we'll need as a cruising family. Also doing the financial planning and truly having to decide how long we can do it w/o having to eat cat food in our golden years. I also have a draft plan B (live abroad possibly in France or Brazil) and C (move family to west coast of US) to all of this… it's overwhelming on top of trying to live my daily life.

Only a select few in our lives actually know about our plan… mainly because I get sick of hearing "You're nuts!".

So our first step has begun…we're preparing our house to go on the market. Come August there will be a for sale sign out front… Ahoy.