I recently tripped across another blog where Mr. Blechman, author of the book Leisureville is again commenting on the concept of age segration in housing and specifically The Villages. Here are the comments he made regarding the recent visit of Sarah Palin.....
"Massive Turnout for Make-Believe Candidate in Make-Believe Village
No real surprise here. The Villages is a must-visit Republican bastion of veteran-voters on the Republican Whistle-stop Tour each year. The developer, Gary Morse, also happens to be one of the biggest donors to the Republican Party in the nation (lower case t and n, no s.) I don't find it particularly surprising that in The Villages' land of make-believe candidate Sarah Palin would be a popular draw. Here's an account of the event, as presented by The Villages' developer-owned daily newspaper, a.k.a. Pravda :http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/articles/2008/09/22/news/news01.txt "
I can't believe the audacity of this man, is he crazy or what? Make believe candidate? HUH?Make believe village? HUH?
This character spent a few weeks here several years ago, didn't like the place and has been taking jabs ever since. I was shocked to see he is still at it.
I'm thinking that this guy could use a good shrink. I checked out his bio and it is very vague...he has a Masters in Journalism from Columbia. He apparently resides in New England with his wife and children and also lives in Germany. No mention of his family background.
What does his anger stem from? As an amateur shrink I have my theories.....in my uneducated opinion he might be suffering from some sort of seperation anxiety from his parents. What did they do leave him in New England and take off for The Villages to squander his potential inheritance on an endless game of Bunco and long nights till 10pm at Katie Belle's. Maybe he was weaned at too early an age, maybe raised in a single or no-parent home. I don't know. What I do know is that this guy is now appearing to be a one trick pony who needs to move on.
What is with this guy?
Showing posts with label retirement communities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retirement communities. Show all posts
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
CHILDREN IN THE VILLAGES...I see plenty of them
One of the biggest complaints in Leisureville has been the restrictions on children, evidently 30 days per year isn't enough for some people...I'm thinking 30 days is more than enough. I'm also thinking if they are here more than 30 days who would know. If they were well-behaved, who would care. I'm not a big fan of children, but I have to admit that the ones I have seen around here are great.
I, myself, are not having any children visiting. Out of the 14 children in my family there are only two that I actually like. It's not the kid's fault, it's their parents. Somewhere along the way when they were micro-managing their offspring's time they forgot to pencil me in.
I find it amusing that prior to moving here I was a virtual orphan. The children of prime raking/shoveling/mowing age never paid any attention to me. I spent holidays alone, I was excluded from some family activities. I had one 7 year-old look me straight in the eye and say "I do not like you."
I have done more than my share, I have attended all the recitals, concerts and ball games. I have been supportive, I have bought ponies, horses, cars. I have helped pay tuition, braces and trips. In exchange for my generosity I was treated as a host of a entitlement program and at the same time resented and excluded.
In short, I am done. The two that I care for are more than welcome to visit for 30 days, 60 days or forever. The "IDONOTLIKEYOU" kid can take a hike.
Attention My Family....I am done with the kid thing. I am done with cards, letters, gifts and other gestures that go unacknowledged. If you want to sugar coat this for the ungrateful little brats tell them that I ran out of cards, money and time.
You know what, I don't need a kid because I am one again.
I, myself, are not having any children visiting. Out of the 14 children in my family there are only two that I actually like. It's not the kid's fault, it's their parents. Somewhere along the way when they were micro-managing their offspring's time they forgot to pencil me in.
I find it amusing that prior to moving here I was a virtual orphan. The children of prime raking/shoveling/mowing age never paid any attention to me. I spent holidays alone, I was excluded from some family activities. I had one 7 year-old look me straight in the eye and say "I do not like you."
I have done more than my share, I have attended all the recitals, concerts and ball games. I have been supportive, I have bought ponies, horses, cars. I have helped pay tuition, braces and trips. In exchange for my generosity I was treated as a host of a entitlement program and at the same time resented and excluded.
In short, I am done. The two that I care for are more than welcome to visit for 30 days, 60 days or forever. The "IDONOTLIKEYOU" kid can take a hike.
Attention My Family....I am done with the kid thing. I am done with cards, letters, gifts and other gestures that go unacknowledged. If you want to sugar coat this for the ungrateful little brats tell them that I ran out of cards, money and time.
You know what, I don't need a kid because I am one again.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
CLUBS IN THE VILLAGES
Every Thursday the local paper has a supplement with all the club offerings for the following week. You could literally spend every day of the week going to club things and I guess after 9pm you could go hunting for Mr. Midnight.
I always read them, but so far haven't joined any. I guess I'm just not a club type of person, not really a joiner. I'm not at all artistic, not all that chipper. One of my favorite clubs to observe is the Villages Cheerleaders. You want to see perky and chipper. Watching them you just know that these were the same girls that were cheering in high school and they have never stopped.
If you can't find an established club to join you can start your own. I had thought about a club for pessimists, but that would never work. I'd really like a club for people that still smoke, don't want to anything that will work up a sweat and have no artistic ability. I don't know what we would call it. Drinking will be allowed in this club, it will actually be encouraged. I guess we would have to have our meetings outdoors or everybody will be outside smoking anyway.
Getting back to my HERO, Mr. Midnight....maybe we could start a club called The Maidens of Midnight. Thankfully, I'm not elegible for that one.
I guess one can always dream.
I always read them, but so far haven't joined any. I guess I'm just not a club type of person, not really a joiner. I'm not at all artistic, not all that chipper. One of my favorite clubs to observe is the Villages Cheerleaders. You want to see perky and chipper. Watching them you just know that these were the same girls that were cheering in high school and they have never stopped.
If you can't find an established club to join you can start your own. I had thought about a club for pessimists, but that would never work. I'd really like a club for people that still smoke, don't want to anything that will work up a sweat and have no artistic ability. I don't know what we would call it. Drinking will be allowed in this club, it will actually be encouraged. I guess we would have to have our meetings outdoors or everybody will be outside smoking anyway.
Getting back to my HERO, Mr. Midnight....maybe we could start a club called The Maidens of Midnight. Thankfully, I'm not elegible for that one.
I guess one can always dream.
AMERICA'S FRIENDLIEST HOMETOWN..
People in The Villages are friendly, very friendly. As a native New Yorker this is sometimes hard to process.
Drive just a few blocks in your golfcart and everyone is waving. New Yorkers don't wave, the only time they wave is when they don't use all their fingers. Here they are always waving, of course I wave back, I don't want to appear to be some sort of subversive. I think I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome from all the waving. I think I have to start doing the Queen Elizabeth II kind of wave.
The other thing about this friendly thing is that everyone feels the need to tell you their life story. What is with this? Are they telling the truth? It seems that everyone just left 10 acre lots in East Hampton, Grosse Point or Palm Beach. What is with that? Everyone had 6000 square foot houses. Did any of these people leave bungalows? How about the projects in the Bronx? I don't think so. What is it, are they liars? Special? Maybe a little crazy?
Part of all this friendliness has to do with the fact that we all need new friends, it's an ongoing audition. It's not easy to meet real new friends, forming real friendships takes time, we don't really have a lot of time. When you measure the remainder of your life in months rather than decades do you really have the time to make real friends?
What happens when you have been here a while, you have your friends, are you still friendly? Do you still wave to strangers? Do you still audition everyone that you meet?
Men here are a different breed, if you are a woman they aren't holding auditions. Speak to any man who is alone and he makes a point of telling you that his wife is nearby. I guess he is deferring all auditions to the wife.
Can you really make friends FAST just because you bought a house on the same street?
Drive just a few blocks in your golfcart and everyone is waving. New Yorkers don't wave, the only time they wave is when they don't use all their fingers. Here they are always waving, of course I wave back, I don't want to appear to be some sort of subversive. I think I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome from all the waving. I think I have to start doing the Queen Elizabeth II kind of wave.
The other thing about this friendly thing is that everyone feels the need to tell you their life story. What is with this? Are they telling the truth? It seems that everyone just left 10 acre lots in East Hampton, Grosse Point or Palm Beach. What is with that? Everyone had 6000 square foot houses. Did any of these people leave bungalows? How about the projects in the Bronx? I don't think so. What is it, are they liars? Special? Maybe a little crazy?
Part of all this friendliness has to do with the fact that we all need new friends, it's an ongoing audition. It's not easy to meet real new friends, forming real friendships takes time, we don't really have a lot of time. When you measure the remainder of your life in months rather than decades do you really have the time to make real friends?
What happens when you have been here a while, you have your friends, are you still friendly? Do you still wave to strangers? Do you still audition everyone that you meet?
Men here are a different breed, if you are a woman they aren't holding auditions. Speak to any man who is alone and he makes a point of telling you that his wife is nearby. I guess he is deferring all auditions to the wife.
Can you really make friends FAST just because you bought a house on the same street?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Of course the horses must go.....yet again.
There is a proposal going to the polls June 17th regarding the creation of a horse park and card room in Leesburg/Wildwood that is causing some debate. One of the many opinions I have read alleges that this activity will be "criminal activity and trash to the community". I have further read that Yonkers, NY is sited as an example. HUH?
As an owner of four showhorses and a native New Yorker I couldn't disagree more. I have been to horse parks, they are recreational facilities, not dens of sin. Crime? The only crime I have seen at horse shows is a few illlegal Mexicans grooms, parents verbally abusing their children and horse trainers ripping off their clients.
From what I gather, the issue is more with the card rooom and it effect it will have on the area. Using Yonkers as an example is way off base. The area where the track is located in Yonkers is not great, but it was that way for quite a while. I think that the sport was invented to revitalize the area...that's how long Yonkers has been not great. Given the fact that area was not desireable to start with from what I understand the addition of slot machines has actually helped the economy.
Let's talk about another area in New York that recently added a slot machine type of casino, Saratoga Springs. Saratoga Springs is unbelievable. A few years back it had some areas that were getting a little shabby, it depended on the track for tourism, but the track is only open one month in August. Since the addition of the Casino the place is jumping, home values have risen, the shabby area is no longer shabby.
What is it about horses that both attract and repels? While growing up on Long Island we had horses. When the builders moved in they used this as an illusion to sell homes. Every new subdivision was named to give vision to fields of horses, grazing with manes blowing in the breeze. As the builders took over, the horses were pushed out to make room for places like Hunters Glen Estates, every half acre plot of course being an estate. The horses were pushed to the more affluent areas and out of the reach of the middle class.
I wish the planners had the foresight to designate a horse park on Long Island. In order to competitively horse show we had to trailer off the Island to the Jersey Horse Park, to the Catskills and guess what....Saratoga.
Card Rooms? I've never been to one, I have been to many casinos. Let's look at Foxwoods in CT. I don't think it has harmed the surrounding area. How about Turning Stone in upstate New York, they don't serve alcohol and are still doing a thriving business and pumping up the local economy.
I would love to see a real casino built around here. I would love to see Donald Trump or some Indians build one. Hey Donald, if you're reading this, build me something to do.
What we have here is the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) mentality, we have fear...some of it may be justified. You never know what will happen with a horse, they are unpredictable, they might draw flies, they will urinate, they might die. They also might teach your children responsibility, competitiveness and impart a sense of pride. They will teach your child to put the horse's comfort before their own, to love and ultimately they will break your heart.
Yes, the horses must go.
As an owner of four showhorses and a native New Yorker I couldn't disagree more. I have been to horse parks, they are recreational facilities, not dens of sin. Crime? The only crime I have seen at horse shows is a few illlegal Mexicans grooms, parents verbally abusing their children and horse trainers ripping off their clients.
From what I gather, the issue is more with the card rooom and it effect it will have on the area. Using Yonkers as an example is way off base. The area where the track is located in Yonkers is not great, but it was that way for quite a while. I think that the sport was invented to revitalize the area...that's how long Yonkers has been not great. Given the fact that area was not desireable to start with from what I understand the addition of slot machines has actually helped the economy.
Let's talk about another area in New York that recently added a slot machine type of casino, Saratoga Springs. Saratoga Springs is unbelievable. A few years back it had some areas that were getting a little shabby, it depended on the track for tourism, but the track is only open one month in August. Since the addition of the Casino the place is jumping, home values have risen, the shabby area is no longer shabby.
What is it about horses that both attract and repels? While growing up on Long Island we had horses. When the builders moved in they used this as an illusion to sell homes. Every new subdivision was named to give vision to fields of horses, grazing with manes blowing in the breeze. As the builders took over, the horses were pushed out to make room for places like Hunters Glen Estates, every half acre plot of course being an estate. The horses were pushed to the more affluent areas and out of the reach of the middle class.
I wish the planners had the foresight to designate a horse park on Long Island. In order to competitively horse show we had to trailer off the Island to the Jersey Horse Park, to the Catskills and guess what....Saratoga.
Card Rooms? I've never been to one, I have been to many casinos. Let's look at Foxwoods in CT. I don't think it has harmed the surrounding area. How about Turning Stone in upstate New York, they don't serve alcohol and are still doing a thriving business and pumping up the local economy.
I would love to see a real casino built around here. I would love to see Donald Trump or some Indians build one. Hey Donald, if you're reading this, build me something to do.
What we have here is the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) mentality, we have fear...some of it may be justified. You never know what will happen with a horse, they are unpredictable, they might draw flies, they will urinate, they might die. They also might teach your children responsibility, competitiveness and impart a sense of pride. They will teach your child to put the horse's comfort before their own, to love and ultimately they will break your heart.
Yes, the horses must go.
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