Now you see 'em, now you don't

I can truthfully say that it takes five days (at least) from the time you land to the time your stomach and brain land in the same time zone. For me, at least, that was the case. I landed on Thursday evening and I was horribly jet lagged until Wednesday morning. So that somewhat solves the question of when to start counting the days.

I've had a good two weeks. Jessie loves to cook and I love to eat, so things worked out really well! And neither of us was absolutely certain that we would be speaking to each other after one week, let alone two; we've had a few differences of opinion, but we've always been truthful with each other, and that is what made this time work. For me, it's been a very welcome rest. After the last year, I really needed a rest-and I needed to get away from crazy people and the upstairs neighbor from Hell. Good job, I say!

Florida is a mixture of both good and not so good. Last night we watched the rocket launch from Jessie's back door. That was pretty exciting. Without actually going anywhere near the Cape, we were able to watch, and I like stuff like that. It fires my imagination. I hope humans don't screw up other planets the way we've screwed up this one.

I had a long list of things I wanted to buy while I'm here. I dread weighing my suitcase when I have to check in at the airport next week-that's how much I bought to bring back with me. In many cases, it's much cheaper to buy here and bring back to the UK-even with 7% sales tax. In the UK, VAT (tax) is 20%. And here, gasoline is about $3.40 per gallon; in the UK, it's more like $15 per gallon. That makes me want to get rid of my car.

Yesterday it was 85F, bright sun, and I sat out in the yard for awhile-not too long, because I am fair-skinned and I never tan. I burn. I turn the color of beetroot, then I suffer, then I peel, and then I return to being so pale I look like I am ready for embalming. But-sunburn is supposed to be very bad for you, so I just sit in the shade and envy people who tan. Ewww.

I said that Florida is a mixture of good and not so good: good weather, great food, interesting and unusual greenery, lots of places to go, things to see-and huge spiders, and Palmetto bugs. Now, Palmetto bugs are not as exotic as the name suggests. They are simply cockroaches on steroids. They are disgusting. The first time I saw one I wondered whether to kill it or lasso it. I must have used half a can of Raid to kill the bloody thing. I practically asphyxiated myself - but the thing finally died.

Anyone who has kept up with this blog (my faithful blogees) knows that I am extremely phobic when it comes to spiders, roaches, mice...bugs in general. So when I saw a massive roach (excuse me, I mean Palmetto bug) in the bathroom the other night, I shrieked and Jessie came running. She didn't laugh at me, thank goodness. She calmly got the Raid and sprayed all around the sink. I still didn't sleep that night. And I keep going into the bathroom, turning on the light with the can of Raid in my hand. Talk about phobic! I hope there are other people who are  just as phobic as I am; we should form a club.

And another not so good thing: there are flying bugs that are smaller than gnats, that swarm-and bite. The locals call them "no-see-ums" - because you only see them when they swarm at you, and by that time it's too late. You are breakfast. And there is no way to get rid of them, either. What do you do, take a can of Raid and spray all of Florida?

But-I don't live here, I only visit. So I can heal from all the bites when I return to freezing cold Blighty next week. I even emailed a few people to say how nice and hot it is here. That's called rubbing it in. What goes around comes around. LOL.

On a very positive note: I haven't been using my elbow crutch very much. The Ciprofloxacin makes me feel a bit sick, and very dizzy at times, so I carry it with me when we go shopping. But most of the time it sits in the guest room. We've been walking the dogs and I've been leaving the crutch home. I do sometimes have to take Jessie's arm so I don't wobble-but even she noticed that I am much steadier and more confident than the last time she saw me. Of course, it is now nearly four years since the Gentamicin-but I am still trying very hard to move past it. I think last year's cancer made me think seriously about the direction in which my life is headed. Do I want to continue to hate the people who caused this, when they clearly couldn't care less?

The world is filled with injustice. One of the cornerstones of life: life is unfair. I don't like it, but I need to accept it and move forward and just keep doing all the things I want to do. As long as I don't fall over in front of a moving vehicle, I will be okay.

I've had a pretty awful, miserable four years. Damned if I am going to have more misery. Nobody likes a moaner. And if I see a spider: splat!!