Tell me please that Florida will get better

[jiacinto]

I can't handle it here. Roaches on my floor. Living in a boderline area--luxury apartments within eye sight, but sketchy neigbhorhood within eyesight. Very crappy apartment. Constant heat. Fear of my things getting stolen. Why on earth did I move here?

[lcordero]

1. why did you move there?

[jiacinto]

4. New job

nt

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. My magic 8 ball says "it ain't so"

And my husband would concur. He did not make it quite 2 years in Miami before moving to Chicago.

[jiacinto]

6. So it won't get better?

nt

[Andy_Stephenson]

41. Why in the World would anyone....

choose to move to florida is beyond me.

[Ellen Forradalom]

48. It probably won't change

but you may grow to love it. I love Chicago, after all.

[neuvocat]

3. Hot women (or men?).

Try the roach motels and combat traps if you haven't already.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

5. You moved there because you are young, have your whole career

ahead of you and can handle the challenge.

I KNOW change is hard for you but it's all new...go out tonight and get around the city and find places and people...get out of the house and stop worrying Carlos...this is all because it's a change andd change makes you nervous...do whatever it takes to get to know your new home...

It will all be fine.

Really it will.

I promise.

[Best_man23]

7. Things will get better

In December, when the folks up north are slogging through the snow and ice, you can get up, go outside in a robe, and pick up the morning paper.

Roaches - exterminator, cleanliness, and persistence will eliminate them from your home.
Sketchy neighborhood - hopefully, a temporary setting until you find more comfortable living arrangements.
As far as things being stolen, all you have to do is live smart (lock doors, windows, etc.) and that will decrease the likelihood.

Keep your chin up, you have plenty of DU friends who live in the Sunshine State.

Finally, two words: South Beach.

[jiacinto]

8. Ok Ok

But still I am freaked out by this place.

[geebensis]

15. Come January

Find a nice waterfront seafood restaurant, sit out on the deck in shorts, knock back 4-5 Kaliks or Red Stripes, eat some stone crab claws, listen to reggae and watch the sun set.

If you're still not convinced, start looking for something in Iowa.

mm

[oneighty]

9. See if you can

get a job in Key West. Nice down there.

180

[Best_man23]

10. My home town

Nice, but expensive.

Line of work is important.

[oneighty]

18. I went

through Underwater Swimmer's School there in 56. It was a really nice place.

Police did not care much fo the sailors though.

180

[Best_man23]

21. Was my Dad's next to last duty station

He helped run the sonar school, then was deployed over to Vietnam during the first year of active fighting (65). He liked it so much, he decided to retire down there. My mom and sister still live down there.

[Paragon]

11. Personally, I think it's Nader's and Michael Moore's fault

Soon as I can pin something on Arianna, I'll let you know. :eyes:

[Catshrink]

12. Are you sure it isn't the fault of Chinton's penis? eom

[Paragon]

16. Wrong message board

Try here: www.freerepublic.com

[kixot]

13. Don't stress. Things will be fine.

It's a strange new environment. I like to call it "Carribean Light". It's not as bleak as you think. The key is to have AC and be able to entertain yourself indoors. Also, you've moved here in the worst possible climate we have all year. The good news is that you're about to experience the South Florida Autumn and Winter, which are heavenly. Just make it past the next couple months and you'll see, it gets better. There's a few of us here at DU in your general area, like myself, keep in touch and BAM! you've already got some friends in the area. :)

[cally]

14. Life will improve

I think most of us have dealt with rats, mice, and roaches. You are there for a job and just ignore the obstacles.

A suggestion: Run out and turn on the lights and throw some stuff. Wait a few minutes and then venture out. The critters go hide themselves. :evilgrin:

I pretended that we had no roaches for years with this approach.

[Clete]

17. Are you in an apartment?

In California, owners are supposed to hire bug services to spray for roaches monthly. It works pretty good too. In the meantime you can't leave food lying around or dirty dishes. You have to be pretty scrupulously clean because roaches are very adaptable and eat just about anything. It could be your neighbors are spraying them so that's why they have moved into your place if it's been unoccupied.

The best thing to do is to go down to the local hardware store and ask them what works best in that area for roach control.

[ewagner]

34. Excellent advice

You will never eliminate roaches but you can control them. (mostly)

Florida in the Winter and Early Spring is wonderful.

In late March, take a drive through orange grove country. Roll down the windows and get a wiff of the orange blossoms in full bloom. There's nothing like it!

On hot summer nights, you can smell the jasimine in the air.

I left Florida almost 30 years ago and I still remember these things with great fondness.

[fishnfla]

19. Where the hell are you, what the hell are you doing there, and

why? Do you know anybody? Bugs, BTW, are harmless, Snakes we got same way, no big deal. Heat, hell mad man, its Aug. After this its all good

[carpetbagger]

20. I was homesick for Florida for years when I moved away.

Just wait for the weather to break a bit. Summer's a bitch. In the meantime, here's a few things to do:

1. Get into Cuban food and Latino music. It's good and good for you.
2. Get yourself to the Keys. It's always nice and breezy there.
3. Don't underestimate fishing. It's a much better hobby in Florida. The fish are better, tastier, easier to catch, and you don't have to put as much effort into finding a good place to fish.
4. Schedule your days off around the heat. Get out early, then siesta until the thunder clouds build up.
5. Enjoy nature. I suggest you start by reading a few books until the heat breaks in a few weeks. Then get out there. It's really cool stuff if you're used to something different.
6. Minor league baseball. There's something surprisingly untainted about watching rookie league/Class A players showing their stuff. It's quite cheap, and it's the real thing.

[geebensis]

27. Snort

"Don't underestimate fishing. It's a much better hobby in Florida. The fish are better, tastier, easier to catch, and you don't have to put as much effort into finding a good place to fish."

Then what happened to me tonight? I donated a pint of blood to the mosquitoes and noseeums and didn't get a single hit.

[DBoon]

22. Roach probs too

I lived in an apartment near the beach in SoCal. I remember cutting up chicken for stirfry and the roaches would suddenly appear and try to drag chunks of chicken away. In broad daylight.

When I met the woman who is now my wife, she had moved to LA from the midwest. All her food items were in tied up baggies. She kept a pair of Dr. Scholls on the kitchen counter just to wack roaches.

If you can't move, try scraping the money together for a professional fumigator. At least it will force the roaches into your neightbor's apartments.

[madfloridian]

23. When it is freezing up north, you will smile.

You will sit in the sun or on the beach and soak in the warmth.
My husband was raised up north, and he refuses to ever go back there in the winter. Our summers are hell, our winters are a lot better.

[Mika]

24. Good question

Why on earth did you move there?

Shoulda moved just a few miles farther south where you might find it more hospitable.

The Little Havana roaches smoke Cohibas and drink midnight cafe Cubano at the Versailles on SW 8th (Calle Ocho) and ruminate over Castro all night. You'd fit right in.

[Cheswick2.0]

44. Mika, so far you have the only hostile slam masquerading as a post

on this thread. You must be so fucking proud.

[Mika]

55. Not hostile

Just some good and sound advice on where to find friendlier more agreeable roaches for Carlos, from a fellow S Floridian.

[Cheswick2.0]

73. If I read your wrong I am sorry.......

except I think you were making a comparison between Carlos and the Miami Cubans who are "all right wing", as the DU meme goes. I'll watch for awhile and reserve judgement.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

76. I Call Bullshit

You've done nothing but make not-so-subtle Cuba slams at Carlos on these "I moved to Florida" threads. Give it a rest, already.

DTH

[DBoon]

25. Boric Acid

All over the place. Kills 'em. You don't have any cats I hope.

[electricmonk]

37. That was going to be my suggestion

Boric acid is the best. I've had a bunch of roach problems in various apartments over the years and that always worked the best. My tactics were to spread that around everywhere and then to make sure I killed every single visible roach in the meantime since it is slow acting, with either a Raid type spray or a newspaper whatever was handy. I figured every dead roach was one fewer that was going to breed. Of course if your neighbors are slobs you'll never completely get rid of roaches they will still probe your place but roaches seem to be fairly smart and can tell where they don't stand a chance.

[Toby109]

26. I've heard when you move up

the CIA psy-ops ladder it gets better. So hang in there, dude!

[trumad]

28. Head to South Beach

and life will get better....

[Kenneth ken]

29. what nsma said

It will probably get better for you. Definitely get out and about.
I found the people in FL to be very friendly.

Don't worry much about the gators - unless you're driving. They're far to big to try to run over. If you're walking around and encounter one, they're pretty lazy and probably won't try to chase you, unless you seriously provoke them.

For the beach; surf shoes! Plus, Learn the stingray shuffle. Surf shoes are like neoprene and will serve you better than being barefoot in the water. Stingrays like to bury themselves in the shallow water, but if you shuffle your feet when you walk, they'll know you're coming and will move out of your way.

It's September almost. Get yourself an inflatable mattress, some string/rope like to mail packages with, and about a 10 lb weight. Tie the weight to the string, hop on the mattress and hold on to the other end of the string. This all at the beach in the shallows. You should be about half submerged, and the string-weight will help to anchor you in place. Until you get fairly well tanned, try not to stay out like this too long; the FL sun burns pretty quickly, so be aware.

There is a lot to like about FL. I personally had a hard time making a living there, though, so eventually wised up and left.

[SOteric]

30. Change is always hard.

But there are good and bad things about every place.

You've got a catalogue of the bad stuff, now go out and find some of the good things.

Track down some of the local groups for Democrats and voluteer your time.

[rppper]

31. welcome to florida carlos

get used to roaches....or more likely palmetto bugs...huge and look like roaches, and they can go airborne....they have been here since the dinosaurs and 'aint leaving anytime soon. my advice...slap a coat of fresh paint on the apt., buy a good deadbolt and get renters insurance, pick up roach motels and find a reasonable exterminator to spray monthly....also expect sugar ants, sand fleas and silverfish.

[jiacinto]

32. What are silverfish?

nt

[carpetbagger]

40. It's a bug, but it's also found up north.

Think on the bright side. There's a lot less bees in Florida.

[SoCalDem]

38. Wait til you meet the lizards...

actually get yourself some geckos.. They like to live under the refrigerator and they EAT roaches :)

Problem solved :)

[Terwilliger]

33. my god....THE HORROR!

There's a sketchy neighborhood in eyesight?!?!?

RUN!!!!


RUN!!!!!

[Forkboy]

36. lol...my own house is sketchy!

I dont have to look out any darn windows!

[Cheswick2.0]

45. yeah, cause all us real liberals love living where we don't feel safe

We move to those neighborhoods on purpose.

[Terwilliger]

61. us real liberals?

like who...Carlos? Are you joking?

[Forkboy]

65. Hey at least Chessy

hasn't told us to "shut up and go away" yet :)

[Cheswick2.0]

74. I might

give me time }(

[Cheswick2.0]

72. no like the rest of us folks here who call ourselves liberal

we of course all purposely live in dangerous neighborhoods because we are all so liberal.

BTW, I lived exactly two blocks from where Carlos is for 5 years. There are plenty of good people there, but there is plenty of crime too. It is a "sketchy" neighborhood and he has reason to be a little nervous. Like any other city living person, Carlos will be fine if he practices a little caution.

Cut him a break for once, he just made a major life change. I am sure you know what that is like when you are in your early twenties. He went there on his own with no family or friends and is going to start a brand new job this week. Jeez!

[prolesunited]

66. I don't think that it's the sketchy neighborhood

within eyesight as it is the "luxury apartments within eye sight" that's taunting him. So close, yet so far.

Just because people around you may be poor doesn't necessarily mean they are criminals and will steal your stuff. Even Bush* admitted he didn't think poor people were necessarily criminals.

If you're concerned, you can contact the police department and get the crime stats for your area to see if your perception matches reality.

It's hard living outside of the bubble but millions of Americans do it every day and manage to survive. Think of it as a lesson in humility and compassion.

Speaking as a person who was once below federal poverty guidelines (and thankfully is far beyond it now), those lessons will stay with you forever and hopefully change the way you walk in this world. Just concentrate on what you are supposed to learn from this because each challenge is a lesson waiting to unfold.

Good luck!

[uberotto]

35. If you don't like it yet, then probably not...

However, if you don't enjoy 9 months of spring or being able to buy a house within walking distance of an Ocean for less than $100,000 or the relaxed attitude of the local people or the wonderful diversity of wildlife or... well, since I love living in Florida, I could go on and on. However, you do have to realize that there are three very different, very distinct Floridas. You have the beach area, the inner areas and the southern areas. If you don't like where you are living now, just move a hundered miles in any direction and everything changes.

I've lived up and down the east coast (Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts), as well as Texas, Illinois and Alabama and I've never found anywhere that is as enjoyable as Florida.

I guess it just depends on what you like. I saw an earlier post talking about someone being happy that they moved back to Chicago. I've spend a couple of years there and can't imagine why anyone would willingly move there.

[VermontDem2004]

39. In a few years Chris Leak is going to be an excellent QB

LoL, sorry. I thought you were talking about the Florida football team(so many CFB threads today). :crazy:

[GalleryGod]

42. Rid-A-Bug is Good! Boric Acid better! February is THE BEST!

My friend,you moved-in at the WORST time of the year! The weather will "break" in September/early October! You'll love it! Lived in South Beach BEFORE(1988) the Great RE-HAB so tell ME about Shabby!

Miami for me was "America's Casablanca" and I was Bogie!
:hippie:

[KG]

43. what you need is is friend

i love it in St Pete, FL. the best place i've ever lived since i left northern virginia. tampa bay area is only part of FL i would live in.

what you need is a friend carlos. trumad lives in s.e. florida. you should hook up with him. you know get together, drink beers, whine about ralph nader and the greens. you'll feel better then.

[Cheswick2.0]

46. a friend is a great idea, but

I don't think Carlos is nearly as obsessed with Nader and his cult of personality party as you are.

[KG]

47. heh,

the way you nader-whiners stick up for one another is admirable, in a 12-step program kinda way. :)

[Terwilliger]

62. as opposed to your obsession with Gore

which is, of course, strictly intellectual :eyes:

[Forkboy]

67. LMAO

ouch!

[The Backlash Cometh]

49. Isn't the rest of America the same?

Gee...maybe I should move, too.

[mrbill]

50. sounds like my hood.

bugs and yuckey stuff in view.

[bleedingheart]

51. Calm down!

It will get better... just start to find the positives!

I personally like the Florida heat...the foilage..the flowers...
Are you close to the beach?
Get involved in local politics...
step out into the nightlife...

just don't sit inside and freak yourself out...

Just relax!

[FlaGranny]

52. You'll soon acclimate to the heat.

My first summer here (I came here in the summer too), I was shocked at the heat. But, still, it rarely goes above 90 degrees as close to the coast as you are. It gets much hotter in DC. The trouble with Florida is that you don't get a break - it is the same 90 degrees every day for 4 or 5 months.

If you keep after those roaches as other people have described, you'll soon be pretty much rid of them.

How did you find your crappy apartment? Depending on where you live, there are many beautiful apartment complexes. You could probably get a great place for about $700 a month (or high end for about $1000). Did you sign a lease? Just take your time and look around and by the time your lease is up, you'll probably find just the right place for you. You're not stuck there forever.

Get out and around. Talk to people your age. Find out what's happening. There is a LOT happening in HOT Miami.

Like others have said - just wait a month or two and you will be rewarded with day after day of the most gorgeous weather you have ever experienced - a whole winter full of clear blue skies and perfect weather.

Also, be a tourist for a while. There are reasons why the population booms in the winter.

[jiacinto]

54. I was on a budget

a real tight budget.

[Zorba607]

53. if by better you mean different

then yes! looks like we may have a hurricane or two heading our way. Otherwise, no. Been here two years and this place is a desert of strip malls.

[LadeJarl]

56. I love Florida!

I moved to Central-Florida about 5 years ago and love it here!

Summer is hot and muggy and rainy, but I'd take that any day over -20, windy, cold and snowy during the winters.

Nothing beats laying out in the sun on new years day by the pool, soaking up some rays, while the rest is freezing their a$$ off up north :)

If you live in a shady area, find something better! It's pretty cheap here and most apartment complexes are nice and clean. Get used to seeing a roach or 2 and lizards are good :)

Use the area, living in Florida means living outdoors and away from your apartment a lot. No need to stay inside (and hack on DU) when you can enjoy the beaches, the golf courses, the night life, the nature...

[Best_man23]

58. Welcome to DU

Orlando here, hope you're enjoying it here.

[NightTrain]

57. Florida will get better

NOT!!! :P

[Andy_Stephenson]

59. Florida....

Home of Jebby, Katherine Harris, Anita Bryant, bugs that hve one mission in life...to bite you oh and Disney World. Won't get any better than that. Sorry you went there dude.

[Shakeydave]

60. I'm a lifer down here!

I could never leave it! If you are nearby, I'll take you for a beer!

[SoCalDem]

63. He's in North Miami

:)

[rppper]

64. carlos....do yourself a favor........

buy yourself a nice big honda cruiser, some nice saddlebags and a windshield for it, a good snell approved helmet (despite floridas no helmet laws...it just isn't safe w/o one), and come up to daytona beach this october for biketoberfest...it'll still be warm enough to ride from miami, don't worry. your attitude will change i promise....come on up, i'll be your tourguide...ride out to the iron horse...have a cold one at the boot hill saloon...see the coleslaw wrestling at the cabbage patch bar and grill.....you will go back to miami a different man...trust me.....

[Crewleader]

75. forget Honda..get yourself a Harley

rppper will be seeing you this October on Bikers' Week...just got a 97' Harley Davidson Sporters in Red...brought it up north on my Cape Cod vacation and my great nephews were thrilled going for rides.
See you then friend...:hi:


J-...South Florida is great to visit but you don't want to live there...I did for two years,Hollywood, FL. it was not what I wanted...
Cocoa Beach I found Home...this is a great area! :-)

Tough time to move here July...I did the same I was completely wet hair all the time being down to my waist, that first summer it's do or die! Now it's been 24 years for me and I say Central Florida on the Space Coast has Thee Best Fishing!!! I found DC this past July just horrible...it was hotter there then here.
I hope Skinner and Earl G get to the beach often on the tour bus without air-conditioning it was miserable but I enjoyed what I got to see.


Best of luck to you! :hi:

[ulysses]

68. so go meet your neighbors already.

You moved to the deep southeast - expect heat and las cucarachas. The folks who inhabit that "sketchy" neighborhood are likely the same poor folks over whom you've had such concern in the past. They're not a focus group - they're hot and have cockroaches in their homes too. As to fear of getting your things stolen, didn't you just move from DC?

[KG]

69. wondered when someone was gonna catch the irony.

his self-righteous concerns about the poor in this country ends at sharing a zip-code with them, actually brushing elbows, working with them or talking to them. coz then they would cease to be a statistic to be plugged into electoral calculations.

[FloridaJudy]

70. Take a deep breath

Calm down. Yeah, this state sucks, but you're over the worst of it.

Any day now - say toward the end of October - the weather will be delightful (a million Canadians can't be wrong). Ignore the obnoxious wild-life; those Giant Mutant Cockroachs can't really hurt you - although I'd advise against trying to stomp them. They'll emit a noxious stink just before flying in your face.

Slather on tons of insect repellant. Those mosquitoes not only transmit West Nile, but also Equine Encephalitis. West Nile will only make you feel like crap for a year. Equine Encephalitis will turn you into a vegetable. Have I mentioned Lyme Disease?

Too bad that insect repellant doesn't deter deer flies! They don't transmit disease, although their bites hurt like hell.

Have I mentioned that walking outside between eleven in the morning and three in the afternoon without drenching yourself in Factor Ninety sunscreen first is likely to result in second degree burns and skin cancer?

Worst of all, this state is infested with Republicans! I'll take skin cancer and Mutant Cockroaches before Jeb Bush (GW's brother) and their ilk.

What on earth made you move to this corner of Hell?????

[FireHeart]

71. Good question.

We moved here (Pensacola) because it was close to military facilities. My wife is retired Navy and my daughter is an Army vet, so it was to our financial advantage. We found a rather decent apartment (2 bed, 2 bath, A/C) for reasonable rent.

Beyond that, it's the pits. Hurricanes threaten, traffic is awful (not unusual--it's like that everywhere these days), the weather is very unstable. Rattlers popup now and then, and the SPIDERS...geez.

Life...you take the good with the bad. :evilgrin:

[DoveTurnedHawk]

77. Take Others' Advice on the Roaches

But try to make the best of it! Florida is amazing, beautiful weather, beautiful people, lots to do.

Focus on the job, and try to enjoy the positives. I know plenty of people who LOVE Florida, and hopefully you'll warm to it as well.

Good luck!

DTH