things i miss about where i came from (st. pete (mostly) & tampa, fl))

Well yeah you know it's weird - we live in this little mind bubble thing. And in there our thoughts are completely real. I don't think anybody strolls around going, "You know I am just an ignorant idiot." To me the world makes perfect sense as I see it. I am like Neo in the Matrix, seeing the code behind it all. My poor wife. I was explaining something to her the other day and she was goggle-eyed. She stopped me and said, "You realise that you have a very loose grip on reality, were you concussed a lot as a child?"

But I am starting to see signs. I asked my daughter the other day if she had finished her homework and did she need my help. And she said that she had some maths to do, but preferred to do it herself because her marks were lower when I helped. And she produces a sheet and shows me that I missed four or five last time. These sheets are very dicey because a lot of them are "trick questions". And I always picture some weaselish curriculum guy off in London smirking as he slips these in. I bet they get data back showing how many kids missed a particularly well-disguised zinger.

But she has just now begun to surpass my abilities with technology - where she figures out teh remote quicker than I can.

It is one of the reasons middle managers are so dangerous. They know they are on the way out (mortality?) - and sort of convince themselves that "back in my day we were much better", and use every bit of accrued leverage to keep the status quo propped up. Willie Lomax chugging his Pepto with an angry fist shaken at the keyboard.

Too true!  And it gets worse the older one gets.  Memory is a blessing and a curse.

Oh, I remember having one of those (a memory)!! Now, those were the good ol' days....

...I think.....   

Oh, I remember having one of those (a memory)!! Now, those were the good ol' days....

...I think.....   

Just sit back and smell the madeleines.   

Awww - I haven't been on the forum here in ages, but saw your post & had to jump in!  

I'm not a native, but (before moving to Leeds - 10 years ago) I last lived in Tampa (Carrollwood) and worked in St Petersburg...so some of your list resonated with me!  

- *proper* thunderstorms/ hurricanes
- the sun(sets)
- jasmine, hibiscus, gardenias & bougainvillea
- consistent warm weather (hello, earth, it's may! 10 yrs here and i still am not used to cold feet in may  )
- downtown st. pete (jannus landing, the pier, the square of shops around williams park, salvador dali museum)

You know The Pier has been derelict now for some time? I didn't realise until I was giving Tampa Bay recommendations to a friend earlier this year on 'things to do' when he was going on holiday & I read The Pier had all been blocked off for some time. The current St Petersburg mayor campaigned on renovating & revitalising The Pier & it seems there is only starting to be further discussion on doing so. Wow it's been a long time since I was there - the pelicans! Well I guess it's been left to the pelicans, lol.

I even miss all the lizards and the palmetto bugs - such freaky, scary critters! And alligators. And oh what I wouldn't give for the insane humid heat - especially today when I don't think it's even reached 55F up here today, on June 5th!    That's a SUPER COLD winter day in Tampa Bay.  

And I miss Frenchy's on Clearwater Beach. And Cuban food - the Columbia and La Teresita. And all the beaches - especially Caladesi Island and Howard Park Beach. Oh and I miss orange blossoms - along with those other flowers you named.

I don't miss Tampa traffic though! Wow it takes soooooo long to get anywhere there, even over a short distance. Or all the pedestrians who get mown down by traffic on US19.

Ooh, Newcastle's nice :-) got 2 friends up there, too. What's Kentucky like? I always imagined hillbilly types...

:/ I know you didn't mean anything by that but Kentuckians (and most Appalachians/Southerners, I imagine) get kind of tired of that stereotype. Kentucky's pretty awesome, actually - city life (Louisville, Lexington, Covington), beautiful mountains and lakes, amazing horse farms and bourbon, and all the culture of Appalachia (which is way, way more than you see on TV). Yeah we've got our problems (I'm not going to miss our crap politics, that's for sure) - and our hillbillies, though I have friends who wear that badge proudly - but which state doesn't? If you ever want to visit, I'll tell you where to go.

Oh yes! I absolutely didn't mean insult. I should have remembered to say *when I was younger*. I know now that one area as big as that couldn't possibly be filled with one type of person. I am actually interested in moving there because of the mountains & lakes in southern temps, so yeah, advice/ideas would be greatly appreciated! :-)

Oh yeah? That's awesome! PM me with more info about what you're looking for and I'll do what I can to help you out.

Great, you had to go and mention Vallarta's!  I do miss Vallarta's.  YUM.  Their queso dip is to die for.  I swear my son would live on that and nothing else if given the chance.

My daughter is a student at USF and works at Busch Gardens - so if you ever go to the park again, drop by Kumba and say hello to Kat!

(Note, I'm a Georgia native, but spent a long time living in the Bay area, and my now-adult kids call it home.  If I went back to the US, that's where I'd go.)

finally! some pc time!

thanks inversed but i think i will stay put after all, for a while at least, now that i know to look into citizenship *here*!

and sorry edenlynn!  i could totally live off their cheese too! STILL trying to find a suitable substitute here but it ain't happenin'! i tried manchego once but it was SO not the same

won't be at busch for a while, am currently in the u.k. haven't been to florida since 2005! (when i said i wanted out i meant it! lol)- i worked at busch, too, for a very short time. in the games section. broke my heart seeing all the kids lose so i didn't stay long!!

Some things you don't realize you miss until you go back.  Riding to Logan Airport the other day I could see Bunker Hill Monument and even 'Old Ironsides' masts and rigging in the harbor.  Good stuff.

I miss awesome seafood especially Maryland blue crabs
having more than 3 days of 80 degree weather in the Summer
having 2 feet of snow fall in a day
Pappas crab cakes
Conrad's seafood
Ocean City, MD and Bethany Beach, DE
Deep Creek lake and appalachian trail
Baltimore Orioles and Ravens
trips to DC & New York
seeing They Might Be Giants tour (although they have been to London a few times in the past number of years)
Loch Raven reservoir (beautiful spot north of Baltimore)
cheaper and bigger houses
diners - love diner coffee - bringing back memories of trip to Towson diner last time we visited

don't miss particularly humid summers although I've been lucky visiting past few years to have some more temperate summer days
I'd miss the NHS, it's certainly done well by us and also DW works in NHS

forgot to add, I miss the Chesapeake Bay and Bay Bridge (beautiful view going over it).
WRNR radio, kinda reminds me of BBC 6 Music

especially Maryland blue crabs

There is nothing which comes close...

I was looking forward to a meal at China Sky this last time but we were too busy    We did make it to Franny's (local greasy spoon where the waitresses are all over 65) and also Bickford's and Friendly's.  We went to Target once (for cleaning supplies), Kohl's for a quick purchase, walked through the Mall, walked through the LL Bean store and that was about it.  Never got to Boston museums, Harvard Square or any of the old hangouts 

BostonDiner,
I was back in Mass the first two weeks of July and got back on the 11th.. I know what you mean ..
Had a fab holiday. Stayed with my parents. Visited with family on the cape. Spent the day in my favourite town on the cape... Wellfleet (used to summer there as a kid)
Visited with a few close friends.. Visited Walmart.. Visited Wrentham Outlet Mall.. had lunch at the Friendlys there ..
Did a Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee run every morning lolol..
Visited Roger Williams Park/Zoo... Visited Stony Brook Reservation in Norfolk.. Did a BJ's trip with mum and picked up some things for myself too..Most  of these I did with my very fit 71 year old mum(who still with my dad walk 18 holes on the golf courses) Dad not so much into those kind of things so got lots of mum n daughter time during the day.. Ate out quite a few evenings too.
Amazed at what I fit in, in those 10 full days.. It was' soooooo hot n humid.. I'm just not acclimated to those HHH days anymore..Thank god for AC in the bedroom..
Never long enough tho..