Things I learned this week

• Apparently, this is lizard birthing season here in FL. I have seen hundreds of teeny lizards darting around the sidewalks and plantings around the house. I mean teeny--like an inch or so long. They are still creepy. And I wonder if all the grown lizards have died because I haven't seen any of them. (Note to self: research lizard life expectancy in spare time.)
• I love thunderstorms in the evenings.
• Unless it rains the night before, the pool water is bath temperature this time of year.
• Because this place is a ghost town until the fall, the pool is pretty much empty all day.
• If you go to the pool around 4pm, however, the pool is still empty but there is a 'man club' in full force sitting on the porch at the clubhouse. 
• If you use the pool during 'man club' hours, be prepared to hear lots of bullsh*t, witness lots of alcohol consumption and hear the eff word and other vulgar terms on a regular basis. I am not sure if I am breaking some unspoken rule in using the pool at this time, but I do go in the late afternoon. I may look into wireless waterproof headphones so I can stream my music. The profanity does not bother me, it's the bullsh*t I have a hard time with.
• Although in my mind, I am still kinda young, my real self has reminded me that I am not. I rearranged the furniture in my office/guest room today. Somehow, I've injured my thigh? WTH? 
• Speaking of aging, my real self gave me another wake-up call with the persistent ache in my left arm, diagnosed as tendonitis. I've had 2 cortisone shots and they don't help, so I ordered capsaicin cream and an arm brace. The brace just goes on your arm and when you tighten it, per the reviews, you get relief from the pain. I'm not sure it's working but I kinda feel like an athlete when I am out and about with it on. And as we all know, athlete is not a word someone would ever use to describe me. (This is the girl that flunked gym class--not performance related really, I just skipped that class)    Click HERE if you want a picture.
• Booze is really cheap here. 
• Back to the capsaicin cream, never rub it on your arm and forget to wash your hands and then eat a sandwich. My mouth and lips were burny for hours.
• I bought a blood pressure machine because I had a reaction to the drug the doctor told me to take every day after the cortisone shot that caused my BP to be sky high.  (meloxicam in case you are interested) Another real self-affirmation on aging--I have been taking my BP every day even though it's returned to normal ranges. My real self apparently likes to know those numbers. 
• The sky here is such a gorgeous blue, it can only be called "Florida blue".  I never saw this color in PA--there always seemed to be a thin cloud cover muting the color of the sky.
• I haven't had a decent tomato since I left PA. I miss BLTs and BLATs. sigh. I'm going to investigate farmer's markets to see if I can find better produce. I am also going to research growing my own tomatoes in this climate. 
• Gas is about 20 - 25 cents a gallon cheaper here than in PA.
• One of the non-sexual, vular topics of the man club today was generators. Hmmmm. Thinking about doing some research on those too. Consumer Reports was discussed and of course, which man had the biggest one.. of course.  (Whatever) 

That's my education for the week. I'm sure I'll learn many new things in the coming weeks, months and years. Stay tuned!!!

jilly