Movin on up....

Well we're movin on up, to the east side. To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up, to the east side. We finally got a piece of the pie.  Do you remember what TV show had this theme song; it aired from 1975-1982?

I determined I could spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, even months on analyzing this retirement thing; I could keep mulling it over in my mind, trying to figure it all out perfectly.  Justifying to myself what could, would or might happen, or I could simply stop this insanity and cling to the old hippie philosophy, to go with the flow and move on!!!!  In true Hippie fashion I chose to close my eyes, clear my heart and let it go!  Groovy Man!   And here is one of my favorite hippie quotes……“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

BFF hubby’s Mom lived in Sun Lakes Country Club, in Banning, CA.  It was close to Redlands and Hemet in either direction, 50 minutes back to Corona, and even closer to Lake Elsinore, with just a tad further to OC.  That ticked off the boxes of driving distance to kids and grandkids not to mention close shopping.  Hmmm, this sounded better and better as an option.

Remember, I can say “only 50 minutes;’ I drove 1.5 hours in the AM to work and 1.5+ hours (depending on traffic) home each night.  This drive was a piece of cake to me.  Let's have a moment of silence for all those who are stuck in traffic on their way to the gym to ride stationary bicycles. <Grin>

So we began to research the Sun Lakes community on the internet.  Sun Lakes boasted real guard gates/stations.  The only way to get in was if you were on a resident’s guest list, or they had to call the resident to see if they should let you in.  This was getting us more interested by the minute.  So we called BFF’s Mom and were off for a visit to peruse the area and amenities.  

We immediately fell in love with the community!  Everyone waved at us as we drove around in the golf cart.  We used it to look for houses for sale.  Can you imagine, a neighborhood were people actually felt safe walking on the streets with their dogs, bicycling, jogging, and stopping to speak to each other?  Not to mention there were so many floor plans; condos, town homes, single story homes, two stories, all ranging from 850 square feet to a whopping 2627 square feet, with yards and patios!  The price of homes ran from $120,000 for a condo, to $385,000+ depending on the size of the home and the location. It felt like the neighborhoods we lived in during our childhood in the late 50’s.

Apparently golf course property is prime real estate, I have no idea why; in my opinion, they have no yards, privacy is out the window and you see golfers all day long in your view, not to mention the rogue golf balls.  No thanks, not for me!  And to quote Mark Twain, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”

Drum rolls here… and now for the pièce de résistance, Sun Lakes touted a Main clubhouse with a formal restaurant, just for residents, and of course their guests.  You open up an account, are assigned a number and they bill you once a month, how cool is that?  We can jump in the golf cart, go and grab breakfast or lunch without ever having to put on our seat belts!   

We had the opportunity to taste the cuisine, and let me tell you it was on the par with some of the better restaurants we have eaten at, and reasonably priced. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, have a Sunday Brunch once a month, specials throughout the week, and on Fridays Surf and Turf.  Wait, that’s not all, there is also a sandwich shop, called...wait for it...the Sandwedge Grill.  It is convenient for golfers; they park their golf carts, clean their cleats and eat lunch on the patio or inside.  The patio is a great place to eat, people even bring their dogs.   

They have a huge pool at the Main clubhouse, a pool at the North clubhouse, an indoor pool, another pool inside the Condo area and a South clubhouse.  The clubhouses have an exercise room and a trainer.  They have an executive golf course, a regular golf course, and putting range.  We were hooked, and so our search for a house with the real estate agent began.

BFF and I looked at larger homes, quickly vetoed them, along with two stories, condos, and town homes. We determined since we would now be the ones cleaning the house, smaller and cozy was most definitely our preference.    The realtor kept showing us these huge homes, formal living room, great room, dens; toooo much space, after all we had already downsized! This was way too much home for the two of us and our stuff.   

BFF and I narrowed it down to 6 floor plans; we knew we wanted a three bedroom, but with a cozy feel and useful space not just for show.   What the heck are these people doing with these huge homes in their retirement years?  Well viola, we walked into a Tivoli model and we fell in love. The perfect floor plan and house; we knew we could make it a home that our heart could live in, with a door open to receive our family and friends and a garden to fill with memories and many good things!

Now it began to move fast, we found the house!  Bonus to me, it had the perfect back yard for our dog Gimli and for me to garden in.  It was less than a mile to BFF’s Mom’s as the golf cart drives.  He who has the fastest and most tricked out golf cart rules!  <Grin>

This model was the perfect size, with upgrades in the bathrooms, kitchen, and new air-conditioning, SOLD!   Offer made and accepted, now in escrow.  Phew, this all happened quickly, and it was only October 2013.  Wait!  I couldn’t retire until 2014!  

OH, OH, now the decision to retire had been made for me, there was no turning back! Onward ho! Now BFF hubby and I just had to work out the timing!  

Note to self: Today you close the door to the past, and you open the door to the future, take a deep breath, be brave and step on through to start a new chapter in your life!

Stay with me as we go through the renovations etc., oh yes, you saw that coming….  Thank you again for taking this retirement journey with me, or "my longest coffee break."  I'm just sayin’….

And the answer is…The Jeffersons