SpaceDog Adventure Journal

I've been back in the USA and North Florida since returning from the United Kingdom over  one and a half years ago without dating because I work 2 jobs. In March I became pen pals with an inmate and have been visiting L****, aka SpaceKitten, once a month since then. On November 9th 2009, I took her into my custody as a live in partner. She only stayed a week before she bailed out, broke parole 2 times by getting drunk and moved back to St Petersburg Florida where she used to live. That will never happen again and like Odyssey, I don't expect to hear from her again.  We ner had a fight. She just didn't like Tallahassee.  I'm still looking.

With little contact from Odyssey since April 2007 after she abandoned love and got involved with someone or something else (can't say what it was because she's still not talking) the marriage ended exactly 9 years to the date from the wedding. I really never wanted to divorce her, but it was the only way I could get on with my life and be able to buy a home of my own. I hope one day she will call or write, but I'm not holding my breath.  When she said she changed, she really did a 180 change in personality and it was not for the better.

In December 2008, I decided to buy a home by the end of the summer 2009 and I came through with that promise to myself.

I started to save all the money I was making at Select Specialty Hospital and put it into savings. By the end of June, had over $6000 saved, enough to put down on a house, so I stated looking. Met up with Lou, a realtor at Century 21, who I worked with for the next few months. He introduced me to Janice, a mortgage agent with Wells Fargo and got pre-qualified for a $165K mortgage. Between the 2 of them, we started the ball rolling.

After a month looking, I began to narrow the area and price down to what I wanted and could afford. Definitely wanted several things, a 2 or 3 bedroom home with 2 full baths, at least a one car garage, fenced yard and at least 1400 sq/ft living space. What follows are the photos of what I found and purchased for $159,000 at 2854 Manila Palm Court, here in Tallahassee, Florida. It is located in the North East section of town just 5 miles from work, has 1581 square feet of living space, 2 large bedrooms and each has a connecting bathroom, porch, a large kitchen with inside washer/dryer hookups, tiled kitchen, dining and living rooms, a loft and an entertainment room.

Kitchen with old wallpaper

My sister Jean and older brother Howard came to spend just under a week with me. They each spent time at Tyler's Haunted Forest and then we visited St Augustine, Daytona and stayed the night in St Petersburg Beach where Howard and I grew up.  He was looking for a place to retire to in a few years and thinks St Pete may be a good place to live.