05.26.26 The timing couldn't be worse....

     It's 18 days until I leave for Martha's Vineyard. A trip that was in the books since September 2025. During the chaos over the last two months I've tried to get out and fish but was never all in when I got down to the water, and the skunk confirms how much my half-hearted efforts paid off. Zilch.

     But now it's crunch time. We're ending and beginning a huge chapter in our lives and it calls for all hands on deck, not taking a week off to go fishing. But... In the next few weeks it'll be a mix of getting down and opening up Cape May. We have to do it not only to do it, but to make it 

look presentable for our neighbors who have already opened up and are enjoying their home away from home. That'll happen this coming weekend. And then there's going through each room and emptying out the stuff that's left and finishing up some projects we told the buyers we would handle. Tonight we should have a signed contract in hand and that will enable us to make an offer on one of three houses we have our eyes set on. In the end it might come down to buying a house from 750 miles away. 

     And then there's school. I working four days a week and still have to tighten up each weeks lecture and write the mid-term and final exams. And with the deluge of rain, and a warm-up starting today, the grass and weeds will make this place look like Jurassic Park, so I'll have to spend some time with the mower, trimmer, and blower. Be careful what you wish for. But there's no doubt we're doing the right thing. 

     The Suburban doesn't have a tow bar and wiring through the bumper for the trailer for the boat. While I know I can do it myself, as it's basically a bolt on bar, I'm going ahead and making an appointment to get someone else to install it, properly, imagine that. And then after it goes on I'll have to bring the boat and trailer down for them to tune up the axles and lights before the trip down to North Carlolina.

     Yesterday during round two of the clothes debacle I did have a light moment when I went through my ties and belts. I've had the below belt for some time, which means I never wore it. 

     Embroidered into the belt is the South Carolina state flag. On that flag are two things, the first, which looks like a moon is actually a piece of silver armor called a gorget, worn on the hats of revolutionary War soldiers, the other a Palmetto tree, which represents the Palmetto log fort 

used to protect Charleston from the invading British naval attack in 1776. It's interesting how in the year's 250th anniversary of our freedom from the British we're moving from and to places that played such a big part in our nations history. In 1776, in South Carolina, the above happened, and here in Titusville, George Washington crossed the Delaware River and won at The Battle of Trenton.

     So, that's why the Vineyard trip comes at a bad time. But, as of now, I'm still in. While all the reservations are made and the bill paid, it's being able to mentally go and have fun that I wonder about. If you can't relax and be in the moment and enjoy yourself what's the sense of going? I will have a week post trip before the closing to go all in so that is on my side. I'm realizing now how big a move this is and amazed that everything happened so quick and is going down sooner then later. 

05.25.26 And now the fun begins...

     I've realized over the years that now only did I hit the estate and yard sales and flea markets to hard buying everything from Pyrex to Lionel trains and everything else, but clothes as well. I have closets and bins full of clothes, mostly that don't fit, that I've never worn and will most likely never wear again. There's something mental there, I just don't know what it is.

     Truth be told I have probably work a few pieces of clothing 1,000 times, rather than 1,000 pieces of clothing at least once. At least I've never brought new, everything second hand, there's something mental about that. It must be some kind of body image disorder. It probably started way before I had weight loss surgery in 2013, when I topped the scales at just about 270. But even when I went down to 185, I still wasn't the fashion guy you would think I was by looking at the collection of clothes I have, well had, which could have clothed a large percentage of any people in need in any big city.

     I have, well had, too many shirts, pants, t-shirts, jackets, shoes, and socks. Add to that more belts then I knew, and that's from a guy whose pants are usually hanging down in the back. And the ties, when did I ever wear a tie. I've been a firemen, photographer, fishing guide, and nurse, no need for ties there, but I had them just in case. And when I did wear one if usually didn't go with the outfit I had on. 

     So out it went. First into contractor bags and then placed in our college dorm looking living room. A couple of chairs, a card table that is used as a TV stand, and folding chaise lounge for much needed naps. it's getting real, and real quick. While we have been in a lull this past week with the uncertain feeling of how, when and if the sale would proceed, now it's go time. 

     The truth is, buy a big house, and you could, and we did, fill it to the brim with lots and lots of stuff. There's a ton of closets here, and we did our best to fill them. The homes we are looking

at have a closet in each room and maybe an extra one somewhere on the floor plan, but those are designed to store things you use, and wear, regularly. There isn't room for an extra 500 things on hangers that don't fit and span the four seasons of the year as we see in the Northeast. A couple of this, and a couple of that, and if you don't wear it, get rid of it. There's no place to hide anymore, and bot is that scary.

     So after church today we noticed a donation bin behind the church and luckily is was just about empty. So we were able to do our first, well one of many over the last few months, clothing donation drops. As with everything else we have rid ourselves of, getting rid of all the clothes is like removing a weighted blanket that has weighed us down. Weighted blankets are great, they make us feel secure when they are on top of us, but they are also restrictive, and limit movement, and that's what too much stuff feels like. 

     For a while as I edited I was walking around in my underwear so I could try things on and off, but as the hours went by I was just once overing things and making a decision, especially after I checked the size. Our new life is coming, and maybe the outfits of old were meant to be worn during earlier chapters of my wife. Maybe it is time to start fresh, and pick up some new clothes along the way. we've already been to all the Goodwill's and thrift stores in and around Hilton Head if I need to stock up again. Or maybe, just maybe, I'll actually get some clothes that weren't owned by someone who got run over or passed away. Boy, that just might be refreshing, but it's scary as well.

      And on this memorial Day we thank all of the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice during their time of service in one of the branches of our military. Cemeteries are full of people who died protecting our freedoms and allowing us to remain the greatest country on Earth. Above is the message outside of the Shady Rest in Bayville, Bob Popovic's old restaurant. 

05.24.26 All systems go...

 

     Had a wonderful time with the buyers over breakfast yesterday. Everything is moving forward, as planned, even after the dreaded home inspections and contractor visits. Before they got to the house an electrician stopped by with a copy of the home inspection in hand, "The couple wanted me to look at the things in the report". "Well, c'mon in". What he was looking at was the service into the house and the boxes, which are a combination of push and screw in type. 

     I walked around with the guy and showed him the things in the report. After he was done I asked about the difficulty of replacing the panels, and the cost, "It's really not a big deal, we do it all the time". Here I've been thinking for the last 8 years that any type of improvement that doesn't involving patching, taping, or covering, would be impossible. You can, with the right people, and money, redo things from the bottom up, and correctly. 

     We came up with some stuff for the contract, full price, finish around the house what you want or can, leave what you like, close by July 1st, please leave the lawnmower. There you go. So after they left we got on the horn with our South Carolina realtor and told her we'd like to move on the house that I talked about on the blog yesterday, you know the one near the fishing. It would have to include a buyers home sale contingency but they're used to that down there. A few hours later we got a text back, "Unavailable, under contract a few days ago". 

     So it's snooze you lose down there. There are people all over the country doing the same thing we are. Downsizing and relocating and trying to buy a home on the computer. We have another house in mind, it was our #1 pick, but was a few dollars more than we wanted to spend. It still is within range of good wade fishing, in fact, it's closer. 

     As a diversion from Zillow I went and did some research on golf carts. Boy, if you don't know then you don't know. A ton of different manufacturers and a ton of dealers down there. From what I've read and seen on videos Club Car is one of the top brands, and there's a dealer just down the road from the new ranch. 

     I think that's kind of what we're looking for. A 4 Forward model where everyone faces forward. Lifted and street legal with some of the bells and whistles. Of course, I'll be wanting it in white, it'll match the Suburban. Out the door they run about $18,000. While I have always been the used Facebook Marketplace guy I might actually allow myself to buy something new for once in my life. 

Shit's going to be going down real quick. I lose a week with the Vineyard trip, IDGAF I'm going, and a closing before July 1st. Mix in four days of work per week, and the need to get down to open up Cape May, and needless to say it's go time. No rest the weary, or the South Carolina bound. 

05.23.26 What a very good day...

     

     While I was out mowing the grass for the literal 50th time this year my phone pinged for an upcoming message. I've been on high alert waiting for any movement on the sale of the house. Needless to say we've been on edge and feeling powerless since we've started working with this couple. So when I saw it was a text from Theresa and above is what I saw, which to me, could have been the beginnings of a Dear John letter...

     But then I scrolled down and red those six words, "....and we're ready to move forward". 

     While it ain't over until it's over we're still alive, remarkably. We invited them over for dinner to sit down and finalize both sides before the lawyer draws up the one and only contract. Rather then have two realtors going back and forth with each party I'd rather have it where you sit down across from each other, be totally honest and transparent, and fair, and work out the details, couple to couple, seller to buyer. And then break bread and have a drink.

     Kudos to them for being good buyers. They love the house, and want it, but that didn't stop from from not only doing the home inspection, but a separate chimney inspection as well, there's two of them with five fireplaces, and including a contractor to give them the skinny on the costs of getting what they want done. 

     The other night when the heavens opened up the water was pouring over one gutter like Niagra Falls. It's on the high roof and in a tough spot. Hard to get off the ladder and hard to reach down from the gutter line while sprawled out on the roof. My idea was for them to come over for dinner last night, when it wasn't raining, just in case one of those droplets of water, or a bunch of them, would find their way along a ceiling or into the basement. 

     So it raise a ladder on one side of the house to do an up and over to scale down to the gutter and leader that were clogged. As I perched over the gutter, looking down at a 30 foot fall, I thought, "What irony". Here I am ridiculously happy that we sold only to then haven fallen off the roof trying to clean out the gutter. Theresa wasn't around, and neither were the neighbors, so it would have been a lonely and slow death. But I survived my last trip up to one of the five roofs, three pitched, and two flat. 

     Before the good news and the Spiderman act on the roof I got a call from Maaco. "Your truck is ready". Music to my ears, what a way to start the day. So my 80 year old love of a neighbor gave me a ride into Trenton to pick her up. I don't have a name for her yet but soon will. And there she was in all of her 2004 almost looks new, from a distance, glory. 

     While my old iPhone and the different color profiles on my computer versus yours doesn't show the white very well, she is very white. And the somewhat tinted windows and black trim really pop. One of the things I liked is they took off the cargo racks on the roof and did them them over as well. 

     The only thing that looked shitty was the faded from emblem on the grill. I had painted my other trucks Chevy emblem so I went to work. With all the painting I've been doing I had lots of tape and paper around and a good can of spray paint. 

     After a couple of coats it was dry and it looked great. What also looked great was the roof and the hood. It was suffering deterioration after a 22 year old bad original paint job and a little spray paint cover up at home by the previous owner. 

     Well in the end I couldn't have been happier with the results. Now, it was a $1,600 pant job, and it surely isn't ready for one of those Barret-Jackson car collector auctions, but I'm happy. There's some overspray here and there and a little sloppy work around the doors on the inside, which I will make a return trip for them to fix, but it looks great. 

     Next up is a set of mud flaps for her to protect the body and paint from rocks and ashphalt. Then it'll be a big order over at Weather Tech for floor liners and seat protectors all the way around, which will run about $800, but so worth it. Hopefully our next home will be our last and this truck will be my last ride before my dementia kicks in and someone takes the keys from me. I'm into her for $6,100, not bad for a 22 year old truck with 120,000 original miles. 

     I sent over a text to the original owners for them to see her post-spa week visit. Vehicles that are designed for family use become part of the family, and we felt that with the owners when we bought it. Like a home, there are vehicles you hope go to a good family, and will be well cared for. I think they approve of how we're doing with their once family ride.

     It's funny how I wrote more about the truck than the house, but trust me, I'm excited. And now the work begins to get rid of what's left, decide what we're leaving, and packing up the rest for the movers to handle. With the Suburban purchase we've decided I'll tow the Jones Brothers down to North Carolina for it's own facelift and let the movers truck our stuff down to South Carolina. Right now there's no tow bar on the Suburban so I'll get that done, and the trailer onced over, before the trip down south. 

     Things are gonna move fast, which may include buying a home sight unseen, with us depending heavily on our real estate agent. We got a place picked out so we'll see if that's one we're going to put an offer in on. Today another couple is coming to pick up our bedroom set they bought during the Estate Sale and the buyers are coming over to hash out the details of the contract. I'm praying for no hard rain.

     And soon I'll be pulling out of Titusville and New Jersey, but first, and in just a little over three weeks, I been heading north to the Vineyard to finally find my first 2026 striped bass. But before that I'll have to find all of my gear, which could be anywhere and in any bin over at the storage unit. I might have to bum some stuff off the two Joe's or Abe when I get up there. No worries there, that's just the small stuff.

05.22.26 Okay, now what's the move...

 

     It seems like months ago since I tossed the old "Sale by Owner" sign into the first dumpster. Needless to say it's been a long time since we returned from the Lowcountry on January 18th. That's when we decided not to wait until next year to make the move selling the house and moving to South Carolina. You can see that recap, HERE. 

     Selling a house coupled with a big move takes lots of strategy and tactics, and lots of planning. There's no doubt we've busted our butts getting the ball in motion. One of the hard dates we planned for was today, May 22nd. 

That's was going to be the day that the home went on the open market, most likely with a realtor. Well, that's today, and we're not signed up with one and the home isn't hitting the MLS or Zillow. The plans went sideways, well hopefully forward, when a young couple saw our "Coming Soon" sign on the front lawn and gave Theresa a call. That was about a month ago and now we wait for the word if things will move forward with them, following a no-doubt brutal series of home inspections, or will we have to go in a different direction. As Tom Petty sang in his song, The Waiting, "Waiting is the hardest part". I still feel optimistic, somewhat, that these are the buyers, but only time, just a little bit more, will tell. We haven't heard a peep from them all week, which has my doubt meter raised. 

     Luckily this past Monday I kicked off the student's psych semester and the mix of classroom and clinical at Capital Health and the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital has kept my mind busy and not obsessing over things I can't control. Theresa and I are still having early AM and late PM sessions on Zillow looking at what's available down in Sun City, but that is stressful as well. Like I've said before it's hard to house shop 750 miles away. 

     But our search has produced a home that we both agree could be the one. Nice home, good location, and in a realistic price range. It's funny, as soon as we had a price agreed on the sale of our house, we moved up the amount of potential homes down there into the next price bracket. I guess we never learn. "Just some more space". "What if lots of people visit?". "We can afford it". So, with the prospect of giving some money back on the sale we became real, and responsible. The goal is to downsize and simplify, not to get the most for the most. 

      And this house is good in a fishing way as well. Sun City, in Okatie, Jasper County, is about 13 miles from Hilton Head, but there's plenty of fishy water between home and the island. 

     So while checking out the listings on Zillow and looking at kitchens and floor plans which helps rule houses in and out I look for other things as well. Sun City is a huge 5,000 acre complex and finding a home inside can be overwhelming. Things like distances to the amenities and exits are things to consider. I also pull up how the sun travels over each property to see 

what part if the house we can burn insects through the windows during each part of the day. It gets hot, like stupid hot, these days in New Jersey, and even hotter during the summer months down in South Carolina.

     When we toured some houses down there it wasn't uncommon to find handle protectors on the exterior doors, put in place so you don't get 3rd degree burns on your fingers when you go to open your door during the hottest parts of the day.

     But while doing my Google Earth intel gathering I noticed that fishable water is even closer than I thought. Part of Sun City is called Riverbend, why?, well because it borders the Colleton River. The Colleton River is a 7-mile long reach of tidewater that empties into the Chechessee and Broad Rivers and Port Royal Sound, which then opens up to the Atlantic Ocean between Hilton Head to the south and Beaufort County to the north. 

     So our home is a short golf cart drive out of the Sun City North neighborhood to Riverbend, which is just across Route 170. There the headwaters and mud flats on the Colleton River can be accessed at the Riverbend Pool and Park which is private and for homeowners, which will hopefully be us sooner then later.

     I calculated it out with the help of Google Earth and it's a 1.43 mile golf cart drive to the pier at Riverbend Pool and Park. There you can find a long pier and mud flats you can fly fish on incoming tides. 

     And what does the internet tell me about fishing in the Colleton River? Nothing but good, from reds, to cobia, to specks, to tarpon, and sharks. Sounds like a good place for me.

     I hate to say it but it might sound like I'll need some type of additional watercraft other than the Jones to access these skinny water spots. A paddle board? Yeah, no, surely I would fall in and get eaten by the gators. Kayak? I hate fishing from kayaks, but I might have to learn. At least one would get me out to the flats, channels, and oyster beds on lower tides. I'd hate to see Theresa's face when I tell her I need another vessel? In eight years she's seen a bunch come and go. My two-person pontoon boat (sold), my drift boat from the Upper Delaware (sold), my first Jones Brother's boat (sold), Jim's Jones Brother's boat (waiting for the trip south and for some plastic surgery), the first SS Archer (sold), the second SS Archer (now in the Vineyard), two kayaks (sold), and the jet boat (sold). I know it's coming, and probably sooner than later, when we get down there. Walking on those flats and oyster beds and in that pluff mud isn't easy, and can be dangerous. 

     But before that we'll have to get our hands on a golf cart so I can zip around, you know, to the gym, and the pool, and the Colleton River. I'll have to make some type of fly rod carrier so I look cool, otherwise below is what my neighbors will be seeing more often then not.

     And as I end this week in a state of flux I thought about going fishing. Surely after the rain the river bumped up a bit and there will be herring and bass navigating the higher flows....yeah right. We must be in a severe drought by now, I can't remember New Jersey being this dry in years. Soon the massive wildfires will start to flare up. After that deluge of rain the river is still at 

late summer flows. This 3rd week of May and it's running at 7,640 cfs? Cmon man? Someone is going to have to open the gates up at the New York reservoirs soon or else the crabs and bluefish will be up in Trenton due to the creeping salt line with no water keeping it in check downriver. And yes, there have been crabs, bluefish, and even a whale that has hit Trenton over the years.

     Luckily the water temps are now around 70 after almost hitting 80 during the heat we had last week. But even if things were to be different I still haven't picked up my truck after her facelift from Maaco as of yet. Maybe today, that'll make me feel better heading into the rainy Memorial Day Weekend. I already slathered the windows with Rain-X and new wipers, hopefully that'll be all she needs for a while. 

05.21.26 This what selling a house will do to you...

     It's 315 in the afternoon and here's what I looked like. Is that a nice mid-day cat nap? Nope. It's what the work and stress of selling a house will do to you. Mix in a clinical day on the psychiatric inpatient unit and there you have it. While you think I'd be continuing the work to get ready the truth is I'm just exhausted in every way. Add to the stress of the home inspector coming back over to pick up the radon test and the chimney and oil tank inspector who swung back over because he images didn't stick on his iPhone. We're still waiting for the word from the potential buyers, and that's keeping me on edge and in the unknown. Time will only tell where we go from here.

     Of course following the Africa-hot temps we've had lately now we'll have a monsoon or two and rain through the Memorial Day weekend. As I write this it's pouring and the wind is howling and the leaves and branches are already falling. That's great, just a little hurricane or tornado to add to my stress. While we need the rain here in New Jersey, desperately, we don't need 10 inches over four hours to flood things and blow everything out, including the power. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, yeah right. 

 

05.20.26 I'm glad I had a taste of the old Trenton waterfront...

     I found the above image on the "Trenton Memory Lane" page on Facebook. It shows the progress of the construction on the Trenton waterfront just north of the Trenton Thunder ballpark. It was a great place to fish, Tough access, seedy people, maybe dangerous at times, 

but a great place to fish the waters of the Delaware River on the Trenton side. Guys have been fishing that old wharf for over a hundred years, and Delaware Joe tells me great stories of the bass and shad they would catch from that spot. But now the parties over.

     I fished there for years, and the waters were good. The rivers deep on the Trenton side and the current rips through there. when I ran my jet boat I fished it as well, but there's nothing like crawling around and wading, that's my comfort zone. The rocks, and concrete as well, create a hazard to wading and fly fishing as well. With it being tidal, a none foot tide at that, it's important to know when to hold em' and when to fold em'. Many times I found myself nipple deep trying to get up a bit on the dropping tide. 

     But those days are now over. I spent hundreds of hours there with friends, and even Erin as well. They were some of my fondest memories of fishing the Delaware River at Trenton. But now it will become a park, with easy fishing access, that will take away the hunt and fun of the game. Plus, it will make fly fishing just about impossible. 

     I will hopefully be gone, we still haven't heard anything yet, and when I visit it will give me a chance to reflect on the good days, and be glad that I moved south. I've done a lot in Trenton since we moved here in 2018. I've fished it, shopped it, and worked it. The last year at Capital Heath has been, well good. I'm glad my tenure here is over after the semester which started today. We were over at Threaten State Psychiatric Hospital today and will be there for the next four weeks, after the last day I'm off to the Vineyard. 

     And the crew that I'm teaching well I'll call them "The Eleven". That's how many moved on from the difficult second semester of nursing school. Not all made it, it's just the way nursing school is. "The Eleven" is one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, so I'll leave with a Dead & Company version from 2018, a show that I was at. It's William Tell Bridge into The Eleven, enjoy....

    It's hard to imagine how many times I saw or listened to Bob Weir, who passed away January 10th of this year. I was a Bobby guy over a Gerry guy, so when he was on the mic it always made for good times. 

I hope him and Gerry are having a swell time up there in heaven.