07.24.26 What a day and heading back to New Jersey...

     We pulled into Bluffton on July 17th and are pulling out on July 24th. Seven days, like the length of stay for most vacationers. But we're here now permanently, and I have a temporary 

driver's license, license plate, which are just for the back end down here, and the application for permanent residency to prove it. It's been a whirlwind week where we got a ton done but have to head back to Cape May for the fifth and final real estate transaction. 

     Early in the morning I took the ride from Bluffton to Ridgeland to spend a quick minute at The Boat House. The ride reminds me of what Millstone, where I grew up, used to look like before the lot clearing and McMansion building took place. It's long country roads with only traffic happening during the before and after hour work hours of the day. 

     When I got there I knew I had one thing to tackle. The lower roof of the garage had become loaded with leaves, weeds, and a tree or two. My concern, besides that they shouldn't be there, is 

the added weight and stress it puts on the wooden beams underneath. They don't get much rain down here in the summer so luckily things were pretty dry.  Luckily I had loaded up one of my ladders from New Jersey and could easily get up on the roof. The concern was would I find a weak spot, fall through, get stuck, rip open my abdomen on the galvanized roofing, and either die after bleeding out or from tetanus. 

     I did find some weak spots that I was lucky to not fall through so some of these sheets, if not all, will have to be replaced. After this one hour visit it was off to Sun City's Community Association office where we got our new ID's and welcome packet. 

     Before I left I snapped a quick picture of The Boat House. It's really sick and I have a ton of ideas to do some things here to make it just perfect for what I, and my friends, may need. The house, yes it's a tiny house, is 12 x 24, with a sink and a toilet. I'll discuss that and share pictures in a future post.

     In the new house we're getting some work done before we move in. Of course, for Theresa, it's all about the kitchen so we'll, well she'll, be getting new countertops, newly painted cabinets, and new flooring throughout the house. 

     We took the short drive to Beaufort, which is a town I may like more than Charleston, where we spent some time and pulled the trigger on quartz countertops. We had our floor choice and paint cards with us to make sure, hopefully, it all goes together nicely. 

     We stopped downtown and had lunch on Bay Street which is their main drag in the city. Luckily I had some quarters and we dropped them in the meter before lunch because after we were done and came out cars up and down the block had tickets tucked under their windshield wipers. But before I opened the door to my truck I looked up and saw Bay Street Outfitters. We dropped another quarter in the box and headed inside. 

     This is probably the closest 100% fly shop near me. It's an Orvis-partner store and recently the Orvis stores in Savannah and Charleston were closed with the latest gut-job that Orvis did to its customers. We spent some time looking around, I spoke with soon to be Captain and guide Dustin who worked there,  and bought a T-shirt to support the local shop. 

     The fly selection is more crabby and buggy than swimmy and large. I didn't buy any this time around but I might on the next visit. I saw more Enrico Puglisi products in this store than rom one's back home. There's not much for ducktail or Squimpish down here. 

    I left the shop with a few items in my hand. One the t-shirt in a bag, and an Orvis rod box.....with a new seven and eight weight Helios inside? Nope. Not yet. Dustin was able to hook me up with an empty box so I can send my broken ten and twelve wieghts back to Orvis for repair. And then, just as we were spent and had no energy we took a ride over the border into Georgia. 

     It was a ride to Clyo, Georgia to pick up the new skiff. By 6 o'clock Theresa was just about done so the picture taking lacked just a little bit, but you get the idea. Corey was unloading the skiff before he returned to college next week. All went well as far as I was concerned until I did some inspecting underneath.

     Let's just say he never looked underneath when he bought it in May from the previous owner. Again, I'll leave that for another post, but let's just say it needs a spa day, like everything else I buy. What it really needs is some fiberglass work done. He was killing me. What could have been a deal killer came down to him dropping the price by $2,000 to cover the repair. Now I just have to find a glass guy down here but I have some people down here who could give me some recommendations. 

      We backed the skiff into the fenced in yard at The Boat House, which now is ringing true to it's name. Theresa and I both wish we were staying put down here but we have to travel north to close and for the annual family Cape May vacation which starts Monday. 

     Things at The Boat House are falling right into place. I have to come up with a plan and figure out what I'm going to tackle and in what order. Do I do the house first? Tackle the outside first? Time will tell but for now we're off to a good start with both our home and this slice of heaven which will serve me, and us, well. 

07.23.26 I can't even remember what we did yesterday...

     Theresa got her hair and nails done. I hit the Home Depot like a first time home buyer does. The painter came over to see the work we'd like to get done before we move our stuff in. We hit South Carolina motor vehicles and got our licenses and registration switched over. (Of course I forgot my title so I have to return there today). And I did a little trimming of the bushes around the house before ending the day at the pool for a swim. Not a bad day. 

      During a break I threw up a post on the Sun City Facebook page about our home model and screened porches/lanais/sunrooms/Carolina rooms and got several responses. Those things are a thing in the south. They give you some extra space, shields you from the sun, keeps the pollen and bugs out, and is a great place for entertaining. Of course they range from reenable to through the roof, and with that, beautiful to downright doesn't fit and ugly. 

     An unknown neighbor died a quick AI mock up which you can see on the top and just above is how the back of the house looks as it sits now, well kind of. One thing I've noticed when you ask for contractor recommendations is the wide and varied responses you get from each person. We've literally heard "Don't use anyone else" to "I'd never let them in my house again" about the same contractors. I guess that's the same no matter where you go.

Today's our last day in the Lowcountry as we head back to Jersey tomorrow with temporary South Carolina licenses in hand. This late afternoon it'll be a ride to pick up the skiff, I hope it's everything I hoped it to be. 

07.22.26 How about that..

     I felt like a kid who heard the ice cream truck for the first time. But it wasn't the bells from the Good Humor man I heard but the roar of a zero-turn mower that vibrated against my tympanic membrane. I ran out with my cell phone to capture one of the most glorious sights I have seen since closing on the house....landscapers. They come in force, they come quickly, and within minutes they are gone. A few guys on the ride along mowers, a few with trimmers in hand, and few with backpack blowers to clean off the patios and drive ways. It's all part of the $297 we pay in HOA fees each month. 

     That fee covers the landscaping, the three golf courses, the six pools, four amenity centers, walking trails, gyms, tennis and pickle ball courts, woodshop building, model railroader building, walking trails, and meeting spaces for the over 200 clubs found within the bubble. That sounds like a bargain to me. Add to that movies, shows, and an almost daily offering of music and get togethers and I can see why people easily fall in love with this place and call it home. 

     We started the day where we left off, sweating, and bringing all our belongings into the garage from the driveway. Since we abandoned labeling each bin as we packed for the move each time we grabbed one we took a peek inside and often said, "Oh what the hell did we bring this for?". 

     Luckily all the stuff that made it into the garage isn't all of ours. We loaded up some of my Mom's and Patrick and Lauren's stuff that will make it's way down to them in Florida. It's not all that much but every bin and box that isn't ours means less work and space we need to store it. 

     Early in the morning we received word that the wire transfer had finally hit the lawyers account. That meant it was official and we could finally get the keys and get inside the house. When we first opened the door as new owners the first thing we noticed was the rush of cool air from the central air conditioning. Once inside we went through each room and came up with ideas of things we're going to change before we fully move in. The first item on the agenda is ripping up the carpets and wood floors and getting new ones laid throughout.

     One of the stops of the day was over to the floor installers showroom to look at different brands of LVP, or luxury vinyl plank. They come in different shades, patterns, and thickness so like anything else you have to pull the trigger on it's anxiety producing. Word on the street is grays are out and shades of tan, beige, and blonde are in. 

     Theresa's taking the lead on stuff around the house. Whatever she wants to do I'm down with. We had on hand a sample of what the new countertops may look like and had several samples on hand to try and coordinate. Today we'll have the painter over for an estimate on paining the kitchen cabinets, professionally, and for painting the rooms around the house. We'll have to figure out the order of operation since we have paint, floors, countertops, and then electric work to be done which will include removing some ceiling fans and lights and installing recessed lighting in the living room. That'll all be done when we're back in New Jersey and hopefully we come back to a job well done by all. 

     By days end, which included a run up to The Boat House in Ridgeland, we were done and ready to relax. That bought us to the new amenities center and the dam near waterpark they 

recently opened. A large pool with a lazy river with all kinds of shaded areas was a perfect way to end the day. I started with a rest inside the lobby of the new center which is a place I could easily sit and take a nap in escaping the Lowcountry heat. What's amazing to me is that even with that ceiling height you could hang meat inside. Someone had their HVAC design and install game on when it came to that build. 

     It was about six o'clock when we entered the pool. It was us and about a dozen other people. Music, causing some Grateful Dead, was piped in from the extensive sound system. And the music isn't the latest Top 40 annoying rap, pop, and country hits, but more a nice mellow mix from days back when. And the water, about 85 degrees, which to me is perfect. We stayed in the water for about 45 minutes and met some great couples who welcomed us. This place is really like Disney world for adults. 

     While we're staying at the Air B&B during this initial stay we're looking forward to getting in the house and knowing where your stuff, like the daily stuff, is. Somehow we were able to find our bathing suits for last evening's swim and next will be to find a razor to tighten up the facial growth I've just forgot about. We've basically been living out of suitcases since we got here which has been just fine. How could we complain after this run of good luck and blessing's we've had so far? What's next? winning the lottery? 

07.21.26 Four down and one to go....

     Pretty crazy to think we decided to do this all in January. We didn't really get started going until April. And yesterday, July 20th, we closed on our new home in Sun City and on The Boat House in Ridgeland. There's only one real estate transaction left and that's signing the papers for the new place in Cape May. Two sales and three purchase. Somehow we got it all done. 

     And while I always knew a bump in the road would come, I didn't think it would be in the 9th inning with two outs and a 3-2 count. So to explain, simply, here it is. We had our closing scheduled for 1 pm. At 11 am we were in Wells Fargo meeting with the branch manger to make the wires on the three purchases. And at 2 pm the movers were arriving with all of our stuff, which had been loaded and unloaded three times since that torturous day last week back in Titusville.

     Everything went as planned including the movers who were waiting for us to clear the closing. The only problem was the wire on our home didn't clear, and the buyers, for some reason, wouldn't allow us to move our stuff into the garage, where it will all stay until after some work is done inside. So it all went in the driveway.

     And there was a lot of stuff. We realize now that we could have edited our stuff down even more, and will have our hands full in doing so when we get back to South Carolina after a stay in Cape May. If you're planning a downsize, then do your downsizing, and then cut that in half. You don't need it down here, don't want it down here, and nobody cares about your stuff anyway. 

     After the movers left and getting nowhere with the bank the sellers finally relented and allowed us to move stuff into the garage, but by them we were shot, so it sat overnight in the drive way. 

    It is what it was. Now the neighbors know the couple from Jersey is in the house. One thing we noted was, and here's a recommendation, is when your stuff is loaded and unloaded it takes a beating. Boxes torn, bins dented, and wrap and tape hangs on by a thread. My 24 foot extension ladder is no where to be found, How do you lose that?, and one of our large planters is missing. 

    And to bring this daily diary back to fishing things are good around here even in the dead of summer. I found this screen grab from a video on Facebook. In it is a large pod of jack crevalle in a daisy chain out front of Hilton Head. And these aren't tiny fish.

     I also saw a picture that Captain Brian Vaughn of Off the Hook Charters posted with his sports in on that action. I can't wait to target these on the fly, but I'll have to sit this year out. Next the tarpon arrive, and there's always redfish to be had. 

     Today it'll be running around to get everything into the garage, meeting up with a flooring contractor, hitting the Jasper County Tax Assessors office to pay the taxes on the cars, and then maybe DMV to get licenses and tags from South Carolina. Hopefully there will be some time to hit the pool and relax. And more so hopefully it'll be a dry day after many days of partaking. 

07.20.26 Gotta keep this in check...

      While we're no where near settling into our new life, hell at this point we're homeless, I can see where people can get caught up in the daily routine of enjoying a few cocktails each and every day. You go to the pool and there's a bar. You stop for lunch and there's a bar. You stop for Happy Hour and there's a bar. You meet new people and there's an offer for a drink. It's 100 degrees out and a nice cold beer just goes down nice. Over the last 10 days I can say I've drank everyday. One usually, two at best, but boy does the pattern concern me. 

     And if I was asked, "Did you have a drink today, and yesterday, and the day before?", I'd have to admit the truth. Not that I'm concerned, but I'm aware. Teaching mental-health nursing across the lifespan I delve into substance and alcohol use disorder. It starts out socially, and then becomes routine, and then a habit. And if you're an all or none type of person I can see how this, drinking that is, can get away from you and become a habit, and an addiction. And that's even from just a quick stop, like we did yesterday at The Crazy Crab on Hilton Head Island. 

     I guess I feel obligated to order an adult beverage when we sit at the bar. I have to get past that thought process. I imagine it's okay to order a water, or a Diet Coke, while downing some apps or a meal. And we haven't even begun to socialize with anyone around here. Both Theresa and I have some people we know and have met more people but what happens when the invites and belly-ups begin? my Mom moved to a 55 and over in Florida and her peeps have a busy social schedule, which, a lot of the time involve the potential of having a drink with whatever they are doing. 

     When we visited Margaritaville, another 55 and over, and Sun City one of the first questions I asked people was, "How's your liver doing?", and most joked, "Not good", because it's easy to dabble into daily alcohol intake especially if you've gone from working full-time into the world of retirement or just working a few hours each week. 

     Today we'll be writing some big checks, actually they're wire transfers, for the closings for Sun City and The Boat House. Right now we're in limbo, staying in a beautiful Air B&B in Old Town Bluffton. while it's nice, it's not our home, and it's tiny. There's no where to escape to, and escape each other. Yesterday we did our final, well first, walkthrough of our new home. We bought it sight unseen so we were both excited and nervous. 

     We quickly became familiar with the layout and the space as we had seen on Zillow and from pictures from our realtor. The things we would like to do easily jumped out to us. Painting the cabinets, done by professionals of course, switching out the countertops, and pulling up the carpets and installing new floors. I have recommendations for the painter, floor guy, and contractors in line so after the closing I'll start making calls. One of the big things we're going to do 

is replace the rear windows and door with a double door or slider that will open up to a four season lanai. So it'll be do the door/window work this year and then proceed with the addition maybe early next year. 

     We stopped by the house on Northlake which we really liked. It was $100,000 more and we were number two in the bidding. The couple, who we met when we stopped over, were cash buyers with no sale contingencies like we were. They had already done most of the things we had planned and it looks great, so good for them. We can't complain, well especially not me, as buying the house we did allowed "us" to purchase The Boat House and upgrade our home up, funny to say up, in Cape May. 

     Yesterday we started with another meal out, which can also become an expensive habit. But since we're homeless it's hard to eat any other way. As we're in limbo it's paying to stay at someone else's house and eating out... every single meal. They say in online forums that the food isn't good down here, especially the pizza and bagels, but we haven't had a bad meal yet, and the pizza we've had has been great. We hit a place called Dough Boys in Old Town Bluffton last night and had the best calzone we've ever had as we watched Messi get emotional after Spain beat Argentina in the World Cup Final. 

     After breakfast we hit a church Theresa had liked that we had visited when we were here in January. It was one of those churches, a little different than the Catholic masses I prefer. Lots of music, lots of hype, and lots of time. But I realize it's not all about me and what I like. 

     So I sat there drinking my coffee, Who has coffee in church?, and listened and listened until I couldn't;t listen no more so I made a dash to the bathroom. In those churches everyone is smiling and happy and talking to each other, I prefer to get it done and jet to the car, so I just stood there smiling and being social. 

     In the afternoon, after apps and a few drinks, we hit Shelter Cove and some of the stores there. It was time for Theresa to get some new clothes for the Lowcountry. We both pretty much purged our wardrobes from back old-home so it was time to replenish our duds. 

     Theresa prefers new and nice, for the first time in a long time, while I stick to dead mans clothes at the local Goodwill when I get my shopping on. All of my paint and sweat stained clothes that I used working around the house have hit the garbage so I'll need some knock around clothes when I escape to The Boat House. I'll be living a Jekyll & Hyde life, one at Sun City and the other at The Boat House. And I plan on changing my clothes so my two identities don't overlap. It'll kinda be like a Clark Kent and Superman existence. 

     And while it's all about our new home my mind does wander into what The Boat House will become. Right now she's in pretty rough shape and doesn't fit in to what the neighborhood is transforming into. Below is one of the new homes across the street from my place. 

     When we pulled up the other day the sprinklers we going off on both properties so these aren't just thrown up affordable housing houses but the start of a neighborhood in transition. I can't believe that no one grabbed The Boat House before I did, which I did virtually and some 750 miles away. If I had the money I'd buy up the entire neighborhood, and half of Ridgeland. 

     I haven't taken the time to photograph The Boat House from every angle but the below picture shows what we're dealing with. T1-11 siding that has seen better days and exposed trim that needs a good priming and paint job. But I love the potential. 

     I'm going to send off a bunch of pictures and measurement to Erin who is a designer in the making. Down here they're all about Hardie plank siding which is a fiber-cement siding. They run it horizontally or in board and batten style. Below is the place we're staying at that uses both sidings. 

     You can go ahead and laugh but trust me this place is going to be the coolest place on the block. What I have to do is think it all through before I start piecemealing the place together which in the end will just look ghetto. 

     One thing I know is the purchase of The Boat House was genius. I think it'll be a good investment, lots of great times and good hangs there, and a place to keep me sane as I escape the bubble of a 55 and over retirement community. I can wake up, walk the dog, hit the gym, have breakfast (at home) with Theresa, and then of to "work" at The Boat House or go fishing. When I'm all done playing for the day I'll jump in the outdoor shower I plan on building and change my clothes and return inside the gates at Sun City. And then the next day I'll do the same, and the next day, until I can't take not working and take that job over at the local college in the nursing department or maybe something a little more physical and outside. 

So far all is good down here. I'm watching the weather forecast for the northeast and what's happening in the area around our old house. I know our season for sideways weather is coming soon but in the meantime I can't be more thankful that we were able to sell when we did. 

07.19.26 Happy 21st to this girl and feeling lost in South Carolina...

     It's been a bit since I put something fishy on this blog so I found a picture of the birthday girl with a Delaware River striped bass. I remember that Tuesday morning when she came into the world. Before her it was the two boys, Ryan and Sean, and then it was a daughter. There's nothing like sons, but there's really nothing like a daughter. I can't wait to belly up to the bar with her next week and have a drink. 

     We made physical contact with our new home for the first time yesterday. She's a beauty. The first thing we noticed is how new and clean everything is. No flaking paint. No scratched 100 year old windows. No mortar in between the bricks that is missing or needs to be repointed. 

     Today we'll do the final walkthrough and then await the arrival of the movers who will show up sometime this week. We also got to spend some time at the new amenities center which is just a short ride from our house. Del Webb spent 55 million dollars on it and it shows.

     Theresa said this place is like Club Med, or Disney World for adults. We spent some time at the poolside bar having lunch and meeting new people. So far everyone is like minded and nice, like they've all drank the Sun City juice or water. We also checked out the closest water to the new house. It's in a section of Sun City called Riverbend and it's a one-mile golf cart ride from our front door. 

     This is a residents only access and if I'm not using the access for fishing it's a great place to just visually hunt for tailing reds, practice swimming some flies, or just hanging under the covered 

gazebo on the end. If I launch for to far away I can pick Theresa up for a quick cruise into the Port Royal Sound.  

     We also took a ride up to The Boat House to check on things there. It would be just like me to have towed the boat down only to have it stolen. Before we head back to New Jersey I'll have to secure the space as good as I can. As I looked around I couldn't help but notice the homes across the street.

     Theresa and I both said that if we had a bunch of money we'd buy up property in the neighbor hood here. This is an opportunity. Below is the next plot of land to one of the finished houses. I took it to see what becomes of it, line in a missed investment opportunity. 

     And the feelings we have are all over the place. We feel like we're on vacation and will be going home in a day or so. We are wondering about the bills, electric, mortgage, garbage, and cable, that are no longer due. And we're lost without our stuff, which, whatever is left, will soon be delivered to the house. This is our new life and it'll take some adjusting to it. 

     While we no longer live at 1214 River Road we couldn't help but think, and get updates, on the weather that was blowing though that neighborhood yesterday. 

     It seems like every part of New Jersey has, or will, get hammered with this new summer storm pattern. It's one that drops 5-8 inches of rain and floods everything out. Coupled with hail, wind, and hurricanes or tornadoes it's more like weather patterns of the mid-west or the tropics. So I hope all is well up in Hopewell, New Jersey. 

I know they get weather down here, bad weather that is, for now it's getting used to the heat, which is bad, as long as you have air conditioning in the truck and the house. As I write this at 714 AM the temperature outside is 79 degrees in Bluffton, South Carolina and 74 degrees in Titusville, New Jersey. One thing we noticed is the hottest parts of the day down here are the late afternoons, which is a perfect time for an afternoon nap. Which we can both get used to.