Adjustments!

The sun has returned, the ocean sparkles and mini me has spent the morning investigating local health insurance - this makes one really appreciate the NHS.

Friends asked mini me  what she would miss in the UK, so decided to log some observations whilst enjoying lunch in St Petersburg munching by the restaurant's fountain - note the Mexican themed  metal figures in the background.

It is Wednesday the 16th April and we arrived two weeks ago today!

Loving about Florida

• Sound of the surf from the condo (although volume control is mother nature exclusively)
• Watching pelicans dive and swallow their catch
• Searching for dolphins - neighbours report daily sightings so need to keep looking
• Eating al fresco almost all the time  - hence no need for coat or jacket or electric under blanket
• Being able to track the moon through the night sky over the Gulf ocean
• Blinking of the lighthouses - reminds us of North Foreland we see in Broadstairs
• Sea breezes - life sized me's hair has gone a bit curlier
• Beach life - always something to see on the beach - the walkers start about 7:30 am with the beach cleaner (see previous post) and the beach cabana men -- and carry on until dark - some even venture out with a torch or flashlight

Missing about London

• The BBC especially the BBC news and the Sunday Times
• Walking everywhere or taking the tube
• Choice of fresh ready meals for a quick supper (its all frozen pasta & pizza in Florida)
• Range of good restaurants
• Friends
• Need I say again -- the BBC and even ITV!!

Things even a native born citizen cannot explain

• Baggers at grocery and putting each item in separate very thin plastic bag and hence double bagging everything - what a stockpile I already have!
• Drivers going very fast and erratic, but moving very slow once reach the destination
• Pedestrians and cyclists who think there are no cars - beware of them!
• Inane chit-chat -- very, very folksy conversations of no substance repeated every time you meet
• Sheer quantity of prepared & bakery goods and junk food in the grocery stores
• Apparent choice (exhausting) but lack of real differentiation and hence no real choice
• Restaurant portion sizes

We had some excitement with lots of helicopters over the sea -- not the usual coast guard variety, so I think there were military manoeuvres one evening - all quiet in the local news, so who knows.

Mini me is assisting life sized me in planning our renovations -- having once been surprised by the lack of closets, & small sizes in the UK, I now find myself surprised at the non-availability of some typical UK building materials -- and the general response to my requests being 'you don't want that' or worse 'why would you want that??' which I translate to mean of the contractors "I don't know/don't carry that and cannot be bothered to find out..."

So all taking a bit longer than life-size one would like, but then what's new there??  Mini me will try and keep her calm and on the beach!  Happy Easter everyone.

 

PS. Yes, it does get grey and cloudy here and even rains.  Windy with weather warnings too. Mini me was beginning to think she had over packed with some long sleeved shirts & sweaters, but they have come in useful this week.