[Talk Host]

Although I am not fully retired, (I still run a couple of enterprises) I am able to pretty much set my own schedule. (like most of you) One of the administrators on this board (Tony) has been a dear friend of mine for 41 years. He lives in Erie, Pa and has a home on a large spread of acreage. (his own mini Villages, except he and his wife and his daughter and her family are the only residents)

Tony has a 20 X 40 strand steel building that he uses for equipment storage and a workshop. For years, Tony has wanted to build a wrap around work bench in his "barn". I promised him that when he retired and had time to do it, I would fly to Erie and help him build it. Tony retired last month and it was my great honor to make good on my promise and spend three wonderful days this week with my dear friend. There are still a few more things to do: shelves under the bench and electric outlets on the face, but the main part is finished.

I can't tell you the laughes we had, including my advise to Tony as to where the level need to be put.

[bamafan]

Very Nice Work Bench!! :bigthumbsup: Do You Hire out.

[tony]

Never, ever let Jan take a camera into your place. Who knew these pictures would end up here.

Jan won't let me say thanks to him. So I won't.

And he is serious about the level.

[senior citizen]

Great workbench, etc. Speaking of which, what does hubbie do with all his workbenches and tools, machinary, etc. when he retires to a house without a basement?

Do any of the rec centers allow people to "store" or park their hobby type equipment on the premises for their own use??? Just wondering. Thanks to any who respond.

[graciegirl]

The Villages has a woodworking shop that is equipped with all kinds of power stuff. I want to go there and learn to make picture frames for my paintings.

[senior citizen]

Thanks.....but do they allow anyone to store their own equipment? Often coming from a larger home, it is difficult to put all the tools and workbenches in the garage.
But, thank you. Good luck with your frames.

[downeaster]

The Villages Woodworkers Club does not allow you to store tools there. I would guess you could take smaller (hand) tools there to use but it is not necessary. They have about every tool imaginable and they are top of the line and kept in tip top condition. They also keep a good supply of fastening hardware.
With a standard two car garage we are pretty limited in workshop area. At one time I had a fairly extensive tool collection but now I am down to a "skill" saw and a compound miter saw. However. I play a lot more golf than I used to. Not a bad trade-off.

[senior citizen]

It makes sense & I totally understand your reasoning, however, I doubt if my husband will ever want to give up his own "stuff" which is too numerous to name.

We still have two years or less to go until retirement; all along our yearly visits to coastal Maine have been to find a nice small town such as we are used to in Vermont (but with water) in which to retire. I'm not exaggerating when I say we've been up and down each and every peninsula in Maine and a few islands.

Maniacs are similar to native Vermonters and down to earth.

Guess we've lived in Vermont too long (40 years).....so when we made two other attempts to relocate to Florida, once on the East coast when the children were not in school yet (returned after one year, right back to Vermont).........then 15 years ago, after they had graduated college and married, etc., we sold our home and moved to the Gulf Coast and bought a condo on the beach in Venice below Sarasota. The beach had just been rejuvenated and the town during all our previous visits had a kind of home town feeling and a "center of town". It seemed to be a real "Main Street" kind of town.

We were puzzled by the coughing and almost pnuemonia like symptoms, not realizing it was being caused each time by the "red tide".......Venice had other problems, as pretty as it was. We were the only 49 year olds in our condo on the beach;-) Now, we've caught up.

Also, all of our years vacationing in Florida, I never gave rodents a thought. Ever.
Until Venice. Long story which I won't go into here. But they were there. In the Palm trees, in the sewers, running around the air conditioners, in the intracoastal waterway, in the toilets. I know TV does not have that problem.

Four months after we moved down to Florida, we flew right back to Vermont; the main reason was that my mom who had just lost her husband, moved down with us, and we realized the full extent of her Alzheimers Disease while she was living with us in the condo........so it was best to return "home" to our support system and hers. We sold the condo after totally redecorating it.

We had vacationed extensively on both coasts of Florida, Sanibel Island,up and down each coast and of course Disney World each year so we know what the climate is like.......however, New England and Vermont in particular always draw us back like a magnet..............this is the dilemma and I don't want to make a third mistake. I'm thinking perhaps it might be easier to stay in Vermont or Maine.......and just winter in Florida if we have more winters like the one just past.

Once before we had a tag sale and "simplified" and got rid of a lot of our "stuff"...........now, 15 years back, we have accumulated it all again and MORE. I'm sure others have the same pull and tug, not knowing which way to go. We love Vermont and we love Maine. Florida obviously does not have all the sand and junk they put on the roads up here.......nor do the people have all the "chores".......we just put it all away and now have to take out all the deck furniture and outdoor stuff again. It's definitely cleaner in Florida. We shall see......once we are retired and take another trip down. Now that spring is beginning up here, we won't think much of Florida again until next winter. Thanks for your answer re the tools, etc.

[senior citizen]

p.s.
After rebuying a home in our "old neighborhood" where 4 months earlier we had sold our children's "childhood home".....I took care of my mom here for six years in our home and learned what "The Long Goodbye" is all about, seeing an elder slowly, ever so slowly decline with Alzheimers. When I could not bathe her at home anymore, we put her in a close by skilled nursing facility.....just a few minutes away, where she existed for another 18 months, passing at age 91. It's a blessing to help them, but you don't realize it fully until the end. We've been to some truly lovely places in Florida and just keep weighing all the pros and cons. Hibernating during a New England winter vs. hibernating during a Florida summer. Thanks again.........for listening.

[graciegirl]

But Senior. YOU are our kind of people and we want you here.............

[senior citizen]

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[Time for Tee]

We store a 34 foot Airstream RV and there are many large Motor Homes plus boats at the Village Self Storage if you wanted dry storage. This is not owned by The Villages but very close in Oxford (Two minutes away) We pay $52.00 a month and it is gated so secure. The Villages also have two storage places. There are several clubs here such as the Sailing Club or Deep Fishing club, etc that would have information on rental of slips to store the boat if you wanted to keep it in the water. There are lakes everywhere so I am sure you would not have a problem for storage.
Hope this helps!

[mainelyretired]

Hi all, not sure yet how this all works yet(the frozen tundra has numbed my grasp of these things). I 've been reading all the wonderfully insightful info everyone has given, slowly warming me up to the whole concept of TV! I love the Keys(can't afford it) so I'm also easing my husband into the idea of TV. So if you don't mind I might wanna pick your brains about TV. We are early retirees at 48, now we are 51. We have an RV in New Mexico we go to in winter but I really miss the water and being close to it. We are going to list our little cottage on the lake in Old Town ME for sale and move into our seasonal camp for the summers and look see in TV. Maybe in the fall we'll do a rental in TV for a week, we have a sixteen year old norweign elkhound that goes all over with us,he'll go to. So, just wanted to thank you all for such a great and necessary forum for all, even the TV wannabies! You can get thah from heah!

[senior citizen]

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[senior citizen]

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