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“Stuck” in Florida

Posted , 14 users are following.

Twopies
Twopies

we are snowbirds who live in florida 6 months a year. yesterday they closed and locked all the buildings in our complex; only the outdoor sports areas (tennis, pickleball, etc.) are open(and empty). outdoor pools are limited as to visitors (we dont use them ever). so the question is do we drive across country to get home or shelter in place? lots of people are packing up and leaving, others are staying here.

i have bronchitis, a residual from the flu last month. i was checked last week for pneumonia but chest xray was clear, no temperature. just cough syrup was recommended. we think we are staying here, at least for now. grocery stores are empty at home in the midwest where we live; there is food here (for now), although no wipes, toilet paper or sanitizers, etc. it will probably get worse as reality/panic sets in.

i am just loathe to travel to motels, gas stations, restaurants, etc--a 3 day trip for us. the beaches are unbelievably crowded--kids on spring break who have no fear and no sense. we are planning to stay here, at least for awhile, but there is talk of closing interstates; of course motels are always risky, even in the best of times. im sheltering in; my cough scares people to death anyway. in the sunshine and heat at least i can sit outside, go for walks, talk to passersby, etc. but florida has lots of vulnerable old people, lots of silly spring breakers, lots of cases of coronavirus in the state. at home we would be very isolated in our subdivision, much more than here, which is why a lot of people are heading out asap...to get away from the crowds. thoughts on car travel?

0 likes, 25 replies

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  • patricia43291
    patricia43291 Twopies

    Edited

    If you live there for 6 months out of the year, then it must feel like home. A gorilla run to your other home, where the grocery stores are empty, doesn't seem practical to me. Stay on your balcony, soak up the sun, listen or play music, paint, read, and hope for the best. Just my two cents, Twopies.

  • Kacee01
    Kacee01 Twopies

    Posted

    You lucky thing, you have sunshine!! I would definately wait, just enjoy warm weather and sunshine, and wait,, because you would have to make stops on way home and you could feel more isolated when you get there. Get as much vit.. D as possible and hopefully this will be over soon. Be Blessed.

  • Michdonn
    Michdonn Twopies

    Posted

    Hi Twopies, I would stay put, it is not for ever, this will pass. I do not understand why people want to risk it. 🙂

  • Twopies
    Twopies

    Posted

    this is to thank everyone who replied; your suggestions mean a lot to me. the tally is 100% stay put...so we will. they just closed the restaurants and bars in our state back home. we are going to stay here, unless my husband gets trigger happy which i hope he wont. there is much to do back home in the spring, but our house and lawn will just have to wait, we have bigger worries right now. and we already decided that we would not go to our family easter gathering. i think that was the tipping point for him.

    people here are packing up left and right, the main expressway is at a standstill in some places.

    you all are right--this is a much better place to shelter in than up north. sending you sunshine, at least for the next few weeks.

  • patricia43291
    patricia43291 Twopies

    Posted

    Plus, I bet they still have toilet paper!

    • Twopies
      Twopies patricia43291

      Posted

      nope. none. someone (for a joke, i hope) has several rolls chained in their yard with a sign that says "$5 a roll."

  • sandy08116
    sandy08116 Twopies

    Edited

    Omigod - three days to restaurants, gas stations? That's real isolation.

    New Zealand has just set some harsh rules, self-isolation for everyone coming into the country.

    For those of us over 70 with immunosuppressive conditions, we have to be extra vigilant, shopping only during off-peak times. There was an initial run on commodities - crazy stuff - but the mania has died down. There's plenty of loo paper.

    This was in our local newspaper the other day:

    American billionaires looking for a bolthole safe from the spread of coronavirus have been eyeing up New Zealand.

    One American family in New Zealand, which included elderly members, wanted to buy a New Zealand property but after discovering that - under foreign ownership laws - wasn't possible they switched to hunting for a luxury rental in the Bay of Islands. They could stay in New Zealand for three months as visitors but told real estate agent Graham Wall a border closure trapping the family here would be welcome.

    The wife, who's in her 80s, said, "Graham, if they shut the f***ing world and we're stuck in New Zealand that would be our dream come true."

    There's an upside to disasters. If there is a place to isolate - I'd choose the Bay of Islands as well. Just a four-hour journey from where I live.

    😂😂

    Keep well.

    Opua Harbour, Bay of Islands, NZ

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/sondyaustin/1027590693/

    • patricia43291
      patricia43291 sandy08116

      Edited

      Hi Sandy,

      Wow! I just looked at your photo stream.You are a fantastic artist. I'm coming. We could have a grand ol time.

    • sandy08116
      sandy08116 Michdonn

      Posted

      Never seen snow in my life - until I went up Coronet Peak. Ran out of the car and jumped into the bit of snow on the edge of the road - and disappeared. I was born in Ceylon. How was I know to about snow drifts!!

    • Michdonn
      Michdonn sandy08116

      Edited

      Sandy, that is funny, there would be no way you would know. I have lived in snow country my entire life. I am sure there is much in the world that is that foreign to me. We have been fortunate that we have lived in the mountains and on the coast and enjoyed both. 🙂

  • sfazal
    sfazal Twopies

    Posted

    I agree you take beautiful photos. I would love to come and visit as well.

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