On the Market

It has been a few weeks since I have blogged. As you might imagine I have had my hands fuller than usual. For 18 months besides a few things, my only concerns was finding a job and keeping this blog going. Well, as of January 3 I have been employed by the Federal Government. Better yet, I have been in training for a job working for the Federal Government. I will not tell you much about it because I am sworn to all kinds of secrecy and they might shoot me if I actually said what I was thinking. Let me make it clear: I know why a toilet seat costs two hundred when the Federal Government buys it.

Seriously, the other day I received yet another piece of mail from my employer stating that my security clearance was granted and unless "they received any derogatory remarks regarding me", I was cleared to work for them. I said "yet" because I have been getting on average two to three pieces of paper for all the benefits, websites, security passwords, and you name it. I need a secretary to keep up with my correspondence regarding my new job.

If I were making a few hundred thousand dollars or doing anything of a vital nature I would understand, but I am not. I guess we are all possible terrorist these days so beware!

Well, back to basics. The weather has stabilized. Today it is actually sunny and in the 50's. In preparation for putting my house on the market I have cleaned the front and some of the backyard from the winter debris and the miserable seed pods from the Liquidambar tree. In LA I loved this tree because it grew there and gave a semblance of fall in a land of palm trees.

Here with its spiny, tripping seeds it is just a pain in the a....!

The garden has recovered from it downtrodden appearance. It has slowly lifted from being crushed by the snow. I have still to do surgery and remove dead or broken branches, but there is time still for that.

I have taken out all the willow's broken branches from the pond. I don't know how the poor kois and goldfish have managed to survive in all that mess. I wish I could take them to Florida when the time comes as they are part of my family but I fear that this will not happen from logistical and practical reasons.

In spite of the harrowing winter the garden still is looking good. The bones are there and just a little sun and warmth will bring back its emerald quality to make us all forget how tough a winter it has been. I suspect that once I am gone from here and permanently in Florida I will somehow miss aspects of this. It will certainly not be the cold.

Yes, the house is officially in the market since last Wednesday. It is not even March so I got it taken care ahead of schedule. If you are in the market for a nice house check out the following link with the Trend MLS: http://www.trendmls.com/mls/Client/Email/EmailClick.aspx?s=98776840&k=1131962032 (You will have to accept the MLS terms to view the listing). There have been few inquiries as I have been beating the drum for quite some time but there is plenty of time. When it all happens I will figure out a new job in the Tampa region. What I am now doing is not for me.

I will miss my old house when I finally sell it. I bought it a particular hard time in my life when I was breaking up with someone I loved very much. It served to shelter me and give me a reason to carry on. I have celebrated in it with multitudes of friends and I shared it with my dear Taxi for oh so many years. I wanted to scatter her ashes in the garden and I probably will before I leave. It will not be as easy as all my friends think it will be for me to leave. Many think I am escaping and in many ways I am. I am not escaping from, I am escaping to a new life and a new beginning. For a boy that escaped from Cuba at ten, I have gotten used to a gypsy life. I love new adventures. Happy Gardening!