We are no longer home owners; for a while. The deed transfer has been recorded. As I said in an earlier post, a bit anti-climatic for us... because after picking up and depositing the check, we came... home. We have a lease signed with the new owners, so this will be our residence until we leave for Arizona. And we'll continue to take care of it like it was still ours.
And now we can get on with our day-to-day livin'.
A holiday weekend, so traffic is thick here in the Tropical Tip. We'll be cocooning through Monday.
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Another One Bites the Dust...
If you said, "Queen, 1980," you get 10 bonus points. If you asked, "Is everybody there OK?" there are no bonus points, but thanks for your concern. Yes, we are all fine.
The traffic isn't just thick out on the roads. Golf carts are whizzing around on our island; you can tell the newbies on the cart, 'cause there is a lot of gawking and pointing. Stereos blasting on the golf carts.
The traffic and noise isn't confined to the streets - people are getting up and about, and heading out on boats (10:30 ish as I write this). There is always someone with the mentality of: "My neighbors listen to good music... whether they want to or not." Some (certainly not all) fire up the stereo on their fishing boat before they start the motor. Sound carries on the water, especially in the canals here. It especially carries when you need to impress the people you are taking out fishing and turn the stereo up to 11 (Spinal Tap reference). No, in all the years we had boats here, we did not do that.
This morning, while rustling up some breakfast tortillas for us on the griddle, I was treated to the sounds of Queen blasting away. From across the canal and four houses down. Louder than I care to have my music, but I like the old Queen songs. The guy turned it down so he could talk to people getting on his boat, then blasted it up again, this time with an old Bon Jovi song playing. Obviously, he was raised in the 80s. With no regard for his neighbors.
I was busy while the boat was still at the dock, but the red circle is where the boat was... with the music blasting.
Don't get me wrong - the majority of people here aren't inconsiderate with their noise. But, even if it is only 5%, with 1,000 sites here, that's 50 places rocking... usually during holidays and weekends. As often as not, it is renters... seems that a lot of folks here have rental properties (and own multiple places). If you are renting through AirBnB or VRBO, you generally don't know who you are renting to, especially with short term (weekend/holiday) renters. Someone may rent as a couple... and then show up with another dozen family members.
People are having fun - I get that; it's a resort area. It's only a problem if the music/noise goes on after midnight, or if people are doing stuff that can be dangerous - like letting underage kids loose (and unsupervised) on golf carts. And some people feel it is their God-given right to do anything they want at their weekend get-away. We do have rules here.
We are fortunate that we don't have renters on either side of us or across the street. The Sea Cottage directly across the canal from us does occasionally rent, but the last time there was an issue with that one was at the start of Covid, and they had 16 people in a house that can sleep 6, and they felt the need to blast their music away from the house... toward us. We did tell them to point the lights and music back at themselves, and it was less of a problem. Did I mention: sound carries on the water? ;-)
In the past, the Memorial Day Weekend has been busy. It quiets down a bit (not spring and fall quiet) for a couple weeks (mid-week), then is very active from before the 4th of July to Labor Day.
Makes me wonder what our neighborhood will be like in Arizona?
2 comments:
One thing about Arizona - it is so freaking hot that the windows stay closed most of the time to run the AC. That will help with any neighborhood noise. Your windows will stay closed a lot in winter too after you acclimate. Phoenxiers (Phoenicians?) shiver at 65°.
Congrats on completing the house sale. Too bad some of the obnoxious weekenders are who they are. At least it helps prevent any lingering nostalgia for leaving the Tropical Tip and SPI.
Once we go inside here, it is quiet. The way most houses are here, your living room is on the canal side of the house; the bedroom is toward the street side. This is maybe the third time I've heard people blasting a boat stereo... and then they leave on the boat. Not bad in a couple decades here. Whoda thunk it would be golf carts with music blasting that would be a thing?
When we were in Buckeye (west of Phoenix) over the winter, it was several guys with stereos blasting on their motorcycles as they came and went that made me chuckle. We've had stereos on bikes in the past, and they need to have some volume at highway speed so you can hear them... but not when you're going 10 mph. That is just "making a statement." And, of course, that statement is: "Hey, everyone look at me - I'm an inconsiderate asshole!" I listen to music once in a while on my current bike - with noise cancelling Air Pods so it doesn't damage my hearing.
I also have to chuckle when at a stoplight and some dipshit pulls up behind you with their stereo so loud you can feel the rumble in your chest.
Yes, I remember the saying: "If it's too loud, you're too old." And while we're at it - get off my lawn, ya damn kids!
As far as "lingering nostalgia"... I'm already feeling that, and we won't be moving for months. Every time I go across that causeway, I love taking in that gorgeous view of the water. I'm over the need to have a boat here, but I still appreciate the beautiful water, the swaying palm trees, all the greenery (year 'round), and the dolphins. Even seeing the people heading to the beach.
On the flip side, I have been researching good motorcycle roads in Arizona, and there are plenty. I guess we're ready for a change.
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