Auto"Blog"raphy of a Waitress & Mom: Florida's Serious About Chilly Weather

Monday, January 30, 2017

Florida's Serious About Chilly Weather

I'll be the first to say have tremendously enjoyed the weather this (our first) winter in Florida. But if it drops below seventy, Floridians dig out hats, coats and scarves. Since moving here at the end of September have only had two or three days below seventy degrees and have yet to even turn on the heat in our house.

Fine by me. I like hot weather.

This morning it was around forty nine degrees at eight o'clock. By noon was up to fifty. I went to the store and people were dressed like this...

I cracked up when watching the news before leaving for the store. They were going to a commercial break with the weather forecast coming up next and flashed these words of impending doom for the day across the screen.

"Coats necessary all day long"

Welcome to Florida!

I'll admit, enjoyed having eighty five degree weather pretty much all of December and still only have to put on socks when I to go to work.

Even our pups have turned into weather wimps.. Tim let them out back this morning. They promptly pooped and returned to the back door staring back into the house in under one minute. Tim looked at them and said to me, "They're Florida dogs now."

When I went into work around four it was up to sixty degrees outside. Another server remarked it would probably be a slow shift. When I asked why he said because the weather outside was so bad.

And he was totally serious.

I commented that thought he meant because of the Pro Bowl being in Orlando that afternoon..

His reply?

"Oh, man! I hadn't even thought about that!"

I guess it's all just revelant to what you are used to. It's gonna remain in the sixties until Thursday and by then I'll probably be whining about it too.

I've been talking with my Lost Boy back home in Georgia a lot more lately. I guess it's true, when a kid is hurting, there's nothing like being able to talk to your momma. He hasn't asked me for anything since moving back to Georgia but when he burned his hand at work I knew he'd also be hurting for money, especially after seeing the pictures he sent his sister every day.

Every shift when I have made a little extra money, have been transferring some into his account. Thank goodness we both use the same credit union. It hasn't been much but has helped him get by and always get a sweet text from him, thanking me and always saying I don't have to do it.

But I do.

I can't be there for him but I can have his back from here.

When Zach was about fifteen, he made two best friends who are still his best friends. I dubbed them "The Lost Boys" and it stuck. Both the other Lost Boys have lived with us at one time or another and have both returned for short stints. They have always been helpful to me and have always cleaned up after themselves. They all three are good boys...just sometimes lose their way.

I know all too well how important it is to keep good friends.

That's why they are called "Besties."

They bring out and are the best part of you.

At least Zach still has his two Besties back in Georgia...and both have pretty great moms as well.

Bonus points, my sister is still living there and helping him out as well. Oh yes, she's my oldest and biggest "Bestie."

It's obvious he can't work as a cook with his hand like that and hoping he'll decide to come down and stay with us here for a week or two. I certainly can't be the one to mention it. Been there, done that.

So I'll just continue to continue on getting used to being a Floridian, the illegal way. Still driving around with a Georgia tag hoping to not get caught. Heck, it doesn't expire until July so why not? It's a tourist town. A new car tag here cost around six hundred bucks when moving from out of state. A new driver's license is around sixty five bucks so still driving on my Georgia license too.

If I get pulled over this week will just tell the officer it's just so darn cold here I can't even think straight.

If you'd asked me three months ago I'd have said this move wasn't working. Well... it turned out to be work, but if you want to succeed you have to work at it.

I did work at it and am succeeding. One day at a time.

My biggest fear now is the state of this (my) country.

We should be able to realize as Americans; if there is a left side and a right side to things, meeting in the middle is the only solution. Trace any American's roots and you will find out we are all immigrants.

I'm trying to understand. I'm trying to wait and see. I seem to be waiting on Karma, but seems to me (and just my opinion) that our new leader is "Making America Hate Again."

Here's another option.

Do we really need hippies from the nineteen sixties to remind us what to do in 2017?

Certainly makes us look like slow learners...that's all I'm saying.

I will always be proud and grateful to be an American. I will respect the election results and pray for the elected leader to do well.

I truly hope he does but have reservations and way too many close Muslim friends, who are also American citizens but can only imagine how they feel about these recent events.