THE MAP

If you're an occasional visitor to SUNBURNPARADISE you may have noticed the addition of THE MAP to the top of the blog. I thought it appropriate to point out the location of the Florida Keys because I still get a lot of "where exactly are you?" Some people seem to think of Key West as a city somewhere in the US, but unless they've been down here they don't appreciate the fact that it's OUT THERE......in the middle of the ocean.....with only little islands and bridges connecting it to a mainland far, far away. A little geographically undesireable for many things, as I've posted before. Shopping, major trauma, shopping, all those things that make life easier.

The map will also give you an idea of the distances we drive to do things (and this is with gas prices at their highest because.....we're the last point south in the nation. The difference between Marathon and Key West is approximately fifty miles. I work in Key West, Mile Marker 0. Papi works in Marathon at Mile marker 49. We live halfway in the middle, between Cudjoe and Big Pine Key. Papi's commute takes him over the Seven Mile Bridge daily. Mine takes me all the way down through the little islands. In any case it's about a half hour each way, since it's two lanes and usually 45mph.

Where's the nearest movie theater, MacDonalds, Home Depot? Marathon or Key West. Dry cleaners? Same. The TeenQueen's school is on another island on Mile Marker 19, 8 miles from home. Unless you're in dire need of boat parts or a beer, you gotta travel. Therefore the need to move, especially since now I'm moving to Papi's hospital.

We're tired of driving. Our gas bills are screamingly high. All I want is a place to live where it will take me five minutes to get to work and have everything in a five mile radius.

I spent the day yesterday house-hunting. The word "house" is verrryy elastic here in the Keys. It can mean everything from a typical ground level house to an elevated stilt house to a trailer with an attached porch. You never know what to expect when you go see a property. And if you rule out the million dollar homes on the ocean at the high end and the single-wide trailers on stilts at the low end, you're really not left with a lot of choices.

I think I found a house, though. I saw a lovely stand-alone 3 story townhouse yesterday. Pretty new, plenty of closets, a kitchen to die for and tile for the pets. And a pool for the TeenQueen. Better yet a whole 57 seconds of commute to the hospital. We can walk to work! Not on the water, but I have a view of the ocean from the balconies and close to boat ramps to launch the toy. And best of all, not a million dollar rental! I WANT THIS HOUSE!