Breaking up is hard to do. ~ to ~ Walking on Sunshine.

I started a new chapter in my life one year ago today, June 2, 2016.

After 40 years, 4 months and a few days, I walked out of the Luzerne County Controller's Office covered with silly string, and some tears in my eyes.  I carried out a bag of mementos, and gifts from my coworkers.  My other family!  I was leaving home.

I worked with quite a few people in 40 years.  Some I remember with awesome amounts of love and respect.  Others, not so much.  I did my best to work professionally with all of them.

I served under 13 different Controllers, most of them were elected but some were appointed:  Joe Tirpak, Tom Dugan, Ray Sobota, Dave Muroski, Tom Pisano,  Andy Reilly, Steve Flood, Marianne Petrilla, A J Martinelli, Walter Griffith, Patti Llewellyn, Walter Mitchell and Michelle Bednar.

Early on (1982) I was proud to enter public service for the City of Pittston as a member of the Redevelopment Authority.  I had completed 34 years at the table and was honored to work along side of so many community minded visionaries who helped make the City of Pittston what it is today.

I also bowled in a league at Elko and Son's in Dupont PA for the better part of 40 years.  The men I bowled with are among my best friends.   Those who struggled to score a 140 game are cheered on by those who routinely bowled 250 games.

Those that I worked with and played with during my 60 years in Wyoming Valley are cherished friends that I'll never forget.

In 2014 we purchased a retirement home in Dunnellon, Florida. (Ocala Area)  LA's dad had retired to Ocala.  So our bi-annual visits to the area made us familiar with where the roads went, and where the good restaurants were.  Forty-Five days into retirement and LA and I sold our house, packed up and moved to Dunnellon Florida.

Our new home is Spruce Creek Preserve, it's a 55+ gated community in Marion County Florida.  We have been welcomed warmly here, and have made many fast friends.  We joined the bowling league, and the also the club whose purpose is to organize events and celebrations!  How cool is that! LA co-chaired the annual St.Patrick's Day celebration this year.  There is something going on here every day.  There's an outdoor pool that's heated in the winter,  tennis courts, pickleball courts, horseshoe pits, bocce ball courts and shuffleboard courts... all meticulously maintained.

I sought and was appointed to the Historic Preservation Advisory Board for the City of Dunnellon.  I'm working with good people doing good work for the community.  Public service is very important and fulfilling for me and I needed that again after so many years on the Pittston Redevelopment Authority.

LA's Dad passed away on Good Friday.  We were humbled by the tremendous outpouring of support, concern, and caring shown to us by so many members of our Spruce Creek Preserve community.

There are no church picnic's as we know them, no tomato festival and the kielbasa is just not the same.  There's no pizza like Arcaro and Gennell's, or Cebula's, or Victory Pig.  But OMG, there's BBQ, the freshest seafood served seaside, rocket launches, incredible Cuban cuisine, and some of the nicest people on earth.

We have found another Pittston in Florida, and we are so blessed.

If you haven't read any of my previous blog posts, check out the archive links on the right side of this page.