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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Letting the Cat Out... *PIC*
Posted By: Capt Patrick McCrary
Date: Thursday, 1 September 2005, at 1:39 p.m.
I'm just about to turn 62, (09/19/05), and over 40% of my life has been as a Florida resident. Living mostly in the Palm Beach, FL area.
Much of the rest was spent in Houston, Tx, (1951 - 1982), bringing the total to about 90%. Most of the remainder was spent in the US Navy, (1960 - 1965).
At one point, I loved Houston & enjoyed growing up there. By the late 70s Houston was starting to loose it's luster & I began to see the "Handwriting on the Wall". In '82 I knew that a change in latitude and attitude needed to be made, so I moved to Florida. I would never move back to Houston...
Ahhhh, the land of sandy beaches, "fishy waters", and Jimmy Buffet attitudes!
Most of my fondest memories and best friends have been accumulated here. Not the least of which is the start of bertram31.com & all that goes along with the website. Hundreds of new friends, rendezvous', fishing trips, boat shows, B31 projects, etc., ect.
But, as all good things seem to come to an end, so does my affinity with Florida as a place to live. Not quite the same "Handwriting on the Wall" as 1982, but very similar. Too damned many people, too much attitude from the too damned many people, too much construction, too much hassle with the infrastructure, too little "fishy water", and way too much crime.
Time to give Jimmy Buffet Land a fond farewell... (Gawd, I'm gonna' miss my annual dose of hurricanes.)
While planning the 2005 "Out West" bike ride, I tripped over a listing for a piece of property in the middle of the Texas Hill Country that looked interesting. I did some investigation & mentioned it to one of my brother-in-laws who has a few real-estate holdings. Long story made short, he now owns that property and I'll be renting from him at a substantially smaller amount than I'm spending in West Palm Beach, with more floor space, and 5 acres of land to boot.
Hello, Willie Nelson!
There'll be a lot of changes, inconveniences, upheivel, & settling to be done, but in the long run, it seems very do-able. Nearest town is 10 miles east, population ~3,500. Nearest "big" town is Austin, 70 miles southeast. Only a hand full of close neighbors and the crime rate is next to zero if you don't count traffic tickets or the occasional teenage joy ride on a tractor.
So what'll I do out there? Pretty much the same as I do right here. Make parts for 31 Bertrams & sit in front of the bulletin board. It'll bring a whole new meaning to my 15 minute rule... (Oh, and more bike time on something other than flat terrain & dodging Florida traffic.)
So now the cat's officially out of the bag and December 31st is slatted to be the last day that my shop will be open for business in Florida. January will be spent debriefing the shops, loading everything into and onto trailers, & heading west around the end of the month.
I anticipate around a month to get back on line with production, so I should start smelling the sweet scent of polyester again in March. Hopefully, my Internet connections will be back on line within a few days of leaving Florida.
My ONLY real regret in leaving will be my separation with Bruce & Shirley. Shirley is the truest of friends, and Bruce is way beyond just being my best friend. Damn guys, I'm gonna' miss you both!
Now, if I can just survive the remainder of this hurricane season...
Br,
Patrick
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