Sweet Home Florida... Homesick.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Well, I’ve been in Pacific Grove, California for almost 5 months now and I’m feeling a bit homesick for Florida. While California is beyond a doubt beautiful, there are some things that I find myself craving that just simply aren’t found here.

  • The sound of thunder… I think The Monterey peninsula is the anti-thunder capital of the world.

  • The Waffle House 'nuff said.

  • Buffalo Wing Restaurants. - the idea of a restaurant devoted to buffalo wings is a foreign concept here. Can’t wait to visit home and eat at BW3.

  • Steak 'n Shake: 1 AM, get a Frisco Melt, chili cheese fries, and a milkshake… and you can smoke in the restaurant too!

  • Cost of living not through the roof: C’mon… over 1000 dollars to rent a small, 2 bedroom apartment… gimme a break!

  • Friendly people: There’s just a different philosophy of life in the south.

  • Publix Subs: does anything compare?

  • Beaches with white sand and warm water. 50 degree water and brown sand is not my idea of a beach, although the cliffs at Big Sur are quite breathtaking.

  • Cheap gasoline: I wanna pay 1.20 a gallon again. I actually once saw gas here at 2.12 a gallon. I’ll walk first.

  • Big parking lots: If I could have Sim City powers over the Monterey Peninsula, every other building would be bulldozed (with care taken to avoid destroying historically significant buildings) and the parking problems would be solved.

  • “Sweet or Unsweet tea”… If it comes out of a fountain machine, it’s not tea… and only diabetics drink unsweet tea.

  • most of all, I miss the relaxed atmosphere… There’s something about the hot, balmy Florida weather that simply makes everyone relax and enjoy the little things in life.

2

As your location says Tallahassee, I presume that’s where you were 5 months ago?

*- Cheap gasoline: I wanna pay 1.20 a gallon again. *

Well, it’s not that low here in Tallahassee right now. About $1.50 per gallon. Still beats $2.

So is Calif. permanent, or are you coming back here eventually? :slight_smile:

3

Ah, there’s nothing like home. I feel for you.

I am a native of California, and I miss it terribly. I am now exiled in Hooterville, and the list of things that I don’t like or miss is very long. Not that I don’t think that the natives of Hooterville shouldn’t like it here. It’s their home, after all, so they should love it. I’m sure there’s a lot to love. But not for me. It’s not my home, I’m just exiled here.

I would rather live in Florida than Hooterville. Hooterville is land-locked and there are no palm trees. If I were in Florida, I know I’d miss California still, but at least there would be palm trees and the ocean.

4

Another displaced Florida native checking in. Man, I miss it so much sometimes. But Florida today isn’t the Florida I knew in the 70s. In some ways it’s better (my hometown of Jacksonville, anyway), but in a many ways it’s a lot worse. I blame Disney, cheap air travel, and airconditioning.

Here’s a joke for you:

An Iowan, an Idahoan, a Floridian, and a New Yorker are travelling in a car. The Iowan reaches into his bag, pulls out an ear of corn, and throws it out the car window. The others ask him what he’s doing?

“Man, back in Iowa we have got more corn than we know what to do with,” he says. “We are ass-deep in corn and I’m sick of the sight of it.”

They agree that this makes sense. They continue driving. The Idahoan reaches into his bag, pulls out a potato, and throws it out the window. Again, the others ask him what he’s doing.

“Back in Idaho, we’ve got so many potatoes that I can’t stand the thought of them. If I never see another potato in my life, it’ll still be too damned soon.”

They agree that this make sense too. So they continue driving. After a little bit, the Floridian looks around, then throws the New Yorker out of the window.

5

Well, I’m in Florida, and I’m dreaming of the day I can leave. I’m tired of flat. I’m tired of sand. I’m tired of monster bugs. I’m tired of people who are still fighting the Civil War. I’m tired of the “proud to be ignorant” attitudes I’ve encountered far too often. And then there are the taxes…

Yeah, no place is perfect, every area/state/city has problems. I don’t expect perfection. I do expect to be outta here in <checking calendar> 18 months or so.

[sub]Disclaimer: I’m not saying the things I’ve encountered are typical, but I do encounter them a lot. Yes, there are nice things and nice people here, but not nice enough to make me want to stay.[/sub]

6

I’m in Florida, I don’t like it very much…don’t hate it either, but I wouldn’t stay here longer than necessary.

Oh, and you can no longer smoke in public restaurants! Yes! Amendment 6 passed and it is no longer legal! Well, I don’t know when they will enforce it, but the amendment pass.

7

I don’t know if it’s this way up in Tallahassee, but in the other parts of Florida we had to put up with people from Ohio, New York, Michigan, Ontario, etc., complaining about how lousy things are in Florida. They were homesick, too. Don’t become one of them.

There are always things we miss (I live in Cincinnati. I miss civilisation :wink: ) but you have to look for the positives in these situations. There are a lot of cool and really beautiful things in that area. Besides, IIRC Handy is your neighbor. What could be more splendid?

8

It’s supposed to go into effect Jan 7, but since the legislature has yet to convene and decide penalties and enforcement, I doubt you’ll see much difference. Everything is supposed to be in place by July 1, but I think Jeb is going to have enough on his plate trying to figure out how he’s going to fund the reduced class size amendment.

Ahh, Florida. Where pregnant pigs have constitutional rights, but business owners don’t.

9

Is that what Florida is like? I don’t get up there much, being down here in Miami.

10

I’ve never been a big fan of Florida – too humid. I’m a Chicagoan born and bred, but when we retire, I’m thinkin’…New Mexico. Being homesick is a really bad feeling. Better write or call somebody and get your Florida Fix!

11

Guybud, I’m currently inTallahassee and thought you might appreciate an update. However, things may be a little different when you return – all those wacky constitutional amendments passed and things are going to be a little crazy around here.
One of my favorite things used to be to drop by Village Inn around 2AM for a cup of coffee and a smoke — no more, my friend.
Among some of the merry things to come our way with the election:
– Smoking ban: includes restaurants, bowling alleys, and all bars that serve anything other than just drinks
– Protection for pregnant pigs: can no longer be held in cages to protect piglets from being trampled on (expect bacon prices to go through the roof)
– Tax exemptions for Grandparents housing: If you add on to your house to accommodate a grandparent at home, you get a tax break. (Grandpa’s in the bathroom doing what?!)

As far as the cost of living, don’t know how it compares to Ca, but a recent study revealed that Tallahassee has the highest rent/income ratio of anywhere – them crazy student housing facilities!

Oh, if you like BW3, you may also like Mickey Andrew’s new restaurant down on Mahan Dr. (By the car museum) I’ve forgotten the name at the moment, but I hear it’s great.

Gas is at $1.57 for the cheap stuff.

The city has also been doing its best to create the smallest parking lots in the world (unless, of course, you shop at the new Bed, Bath & Beyond shopping outlet, which has paved half of the entire city). Directly across from Lake Ella, wedged firmly in between Sonic and that restauraunt (don’t remember the name) is a brand new three story climate-controlled warehouse with about 300 storage units and two parking spaces. heh.

Let’s see… it’s actually been quite chilly recently, and we had a wonderful thunderstorm last week.

I haven’t been to the beach lately, but anyone who has never seen the sugar white sands and beautiful crystal waters of the emerald coast doesn’t know what they’re missing! I could never enjoy another beach in my life. I’ve been spoiled. ::grin::
The sand is so finely ground and pure white that you feel like you’re walking on silk…and in the summer when the water is such a pure, pale green, you can see the bottom of the ocean for what seems like miles out.

I used to live in Fort Walton Beach, and miss it dearly.
I recently had the, er, uh, pleasure, of travelling to south florida.
I’m sorry Unlce Bill, my condolences. heh.

12

I’m paying anywhere from $1.41-$1.43 for a gallon of gas.

13

Ahh, Florida. Where pregnant pigs have constitutional rights, but business owners don’t.

When I got the sample ballot in the mail, my jaw dropped over the fact that this was actually ON there as a proposed amendment.

Directly across from Lake Ella, wedged firmly in between Sonic and that restauraunt (don’t remember the name) is a brand new three story climate-controlled warehouse with about 300 storage units and two parking spaces. heh.

Golden Corral on the other side, if I’m thinking of the same one you’re thinking of.

Guybud5 – here’s a Tallahassee pic to help you reminisce…

Canopy…

14

It will be enforced starting July, 2003. And you can still smoke in the outside eating areas.
I love Florida :slight_smile: One of the things I missed most about Florida while I was in California was clear blue skies. Although California is beautiful, I was very dissapointed by the fact that the skies are always so, (I can’t think of the word I’m looking for but it’s like smog only not smog…) unclear? (Whatever, unclear works.)

Anyway, there was always a film or a haze in the sky. I went to the Griffin Observatory and couldn’t see anything but a vague outline because of the smog, haze, unclearness or whatever you call it. Went to Yosemite, same thing… dammit all I wanted was a clear sky.

I’m so happy to be back :smiley:

15

I’ll probably be leaving the state in less than a year, to find someplace with less heat and artificiality… I guess that would be just about anywhere else in the country.

Good riddance, FL. :slight_smile:

Sorry for being negative. I’ve lived here since I was 7, and I can’t stand it. OTOH, I don’t like the place I lived previously either.

16

Now, see, I was born in Florida, raised in Florida, and then moved away for about seven years.

My family is here, and I’m so glad I’m home.

No state income tax.

You can wear shorts in November.

Universal Studios is right down the street.

You’re never more than an hour from the beach, no matter where you live.

I love Florida.

17

Hey, I don’t smoke and I don’t care about people smoking outside the restaurants…at least they are smoking in the open, not in a closed, air-conditioned place where I can smell them even though I really want to smell my food.

18

Yeah, but bars? No smoking in bars? (that is, if they serve so much as peanuts) In a college town like Tallahassee?

19

Smoking in bars is allowed as long as food revenue is not a significant source of revenue.

And no, I don’t know what they consider “significant.”

20

ivylass…I think pubs/bars in college towns would mostly be excempted…I know smoking places like Chili’s or Outback (or any other place that has a bar/lounge along with food), will be prohibited.

Oh…and I think you are homesick of the cold, too? :slight_smile: