[faithfulfrank]

Hello all.
I've been lurking for awhile now, and thought I'd try to introduce myself. I'm not sure if I'm welcome, not living IN the Villages, but I'm a "neighbor" who has enjoyed this site, and am smitten with Florida and the great lifestyle.

I'm a professional firefighter in western NY, and we recently bought our future retirement home in The Plantation, about 13 miles south of you good people. My wife and I cannot retire just yet, but are counting the days. Currently we try to get down there every chance we get, and are down there at least a few months out of the year.

Whenever we are down there, we go to TV to shop and eat out. You all are truly blessed.
I have learned a lot about our future down there from reading this forum, and we appreciate it. When we are here in NY, we long to be down there, and we kind of get our "Florida Fix" just reading the posts here. It has been very helpful.

I recently read the book, "Leisureville", and thankfully I read it with more then a grain of salt. I did not agree with some of what I read there.....I have found that people on this forum are nicer then the folks I read about.

Well, thank you for your time. We cannot wait to be full time Floridians....

Respectfully, Frank D.