You don't need to regret selling the condo--after the Surfside condo building collapsed, our legislature said that all the condos and their reserve funds needed to be brought up to date. The Florida representatives are either idiots or evil (maybe both), 75% of the buildings were thrown into crisis--it would be hard enough to have labor to fix up 10% of the buildings, let alone 75%. People who paid $200,000 for a condo are now anticipating a huge special assessment, maybe as much as they paid for the condo, to bring them up to snuff. That's why the building in Surfside collapsed--they had endless arguments about whether or not to fix the structural flaws. Turns out, they should have done the work.
Our neighboring building (where Ivana Trump used to live) had huge special assessments--friends of friends had one $300,000 and then $150,000, presumably to cover the shortfall that always happens here in Miami.
I think we've invited you before--we suggest a week. And a fair warning: we have a cat, so if you're really allergic, it's not a good fit. But I know we'd really enjoy having you. There's a king bed, a pull out sofa and your own bathroom (which is also the cat's bathroom). Mark and Joe could make Lebanese food. Yum!
Love so many things about this column. Fern, Dave and I tried to do a Times Square New Year's Eve once, too. We lasted about 20 minutes--it was terrifying (1986--people were throwing bottles up in the air, with no care as to where they landed...). We went home to our apartment in Brooklyn and watched the ball drop on TV.
Joe--we did the spoon-banging against pots-and-pans too! I just never knew why--I thought it was just a cheap noisemaker.
And this line cracks me up: "Being a writer is like having a term paper due for the rest of your life."
Oh man...kind of feeling that right now as I work on next week's post!!!!
You don't need to regret selling the condo--after the Surfside condo building collapsed, our legislature said that all the condos and their reserve funds needed to be brought up to date. The Florida representatives are either idiots or evil (maybe both), 75% of the buildings were thrown into crisis--it would be hard enough to have labor to fix up 10% of the buildings, let alone 75%. People who paid $200,000 for a condo are now anticipating a huge special assessment, maybe as much as they paid for the condo, to bring them up to snuff. That's why the building in Surfside collapsed--they had endless arguments about whether or not to fix the structural flaws. Turns out, they should have done the work.
Our neighboring building (where Ivana Trump used to live) had huge special assessments--friends of friends had one $300,000 and then $150,000, presumably to cover the shortfall that always happens here in Miami.
I think we've invited you before--we suggest a week. And a fair warning: we have a cat, so if you're really allergic, it's not a good fit. But I know we'd really enjoy having you. There's a king bed, a pull out sofa and your own bathroom (which is also the cat's bathroom). Mark and Joe could make Lebanese food. Yum!
Love so many things about this column. Fern, Dave and I tried to do a Times Square New Year's Eve once, too. We lasted about 20 minutes--it was terrifying (1986--people were throwing bottles up in the air, with no care as to where they landed...). We went home to our apartment in Brooklyn and watched the ball drop on TV.
Joe--we did the spoon-banging against pots-and-pans too! I just never knew why--I thought it was just a cheap noisemaker.
And this line cracks me up: "Being a writer is like having a term paper due for the rest of your life."
Oh man...kind of feeling that right now as I work on next week's post!!!!
Cheers and best to you both.
Yes I love that term paper line and everything else about this—losing virginity, like losing an umbrella!
It made me smile again and again. I wish you both plenty of more time too (and of course, world peace).
Thanks. This was fun to read. I have never enjoyed New Year's Eve, and I am firmly in the "what's the big deal" with Fern.
Thanks for the stories, the smiles, and the laughs - again. Happy New Year, Fern and Joe 🥂!