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Renovating a house in Palm Beach

About four years ago, my husband and decided to retire and purchase a home in Palm Beach.

We were ready to be done with the cold and snow up north.

We were anxious to trade our ice scrapers, snow shovels and wool coats for sandals, sunblock and shorts. However, real estate in Palm Beach and the surrounding areas is very expensive. We were unwilling to settle into an unsafe or undesirable neighborhood. A decent amount of property and privacy were priorities. We toured a lot of homes for sale in the Palm Beach area before we finally found something within our price range. The home was built in the early 2000’s and includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms and almost 1,400 square feet of living space. Unfortunately, the house had been neglected for a long time. There were holes in the walls, broken windows and rotted floors. The pipes and roof leaked and none of the appliances were salvageable. There was also a very unpleasant musty odor throughout the house that we suspected was due to an ugly, stained carpet. Since my husband and I were looking for something to keep us busy in our retirement, we were excited to take on the renovation project. The low price of the house left room in the budget for a decent set of tools, building materials and new appliances. While making repairs and upgrades to the house was time-consuming and labor-intensive, we enjoyed customizing the home to suit our needs and preferences. We also knew that we were significantly improving the resale value.

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Season hockey tickets

My home in Orland Park is right around a thirty minute drive from Chicago.

This is especially convenient for shopping, dining and events.

I enjoy living in a quieter, more peaceful suburb. I can afford a bigger property and nicer home outside of the city. One of the reasons I appreciate the close proximity is professional hockey. I have had season tickets to the Chicago Blackhawks for the last ten years. The team was founded in 1926 and has won six Stanley Cup championships. They compete in the Central Division in the Western Conference. In recent years, the team has struggled. They haven’t made the playoffs or have been knocked out during the first round. I am still a loyal fan. They play out of the United Center arena located on the Near West Side of Chicago. The Chicago Bulls of the NBA play out of the same venue. It seats 23,500 and opened in 1994. I have really great seats. The hockey season begins sometime in October and lasts until April. While I enjoy having something to look forward over the long, cold winters, I worry about the inclement weather. The commute between Orland Park and Chicago can be dangerous. When the wind picks up and blows the snow around, creating white-outs, there’s very limited visibility. The roads can turn icy. I am unwilling to get in an accident, potentially get hurt and end up with a huge expense simply to attend a hockey game. Because of this, I miss some games. If possible, I sell my tickets. I then enjoy the game on television from the comfort of my home in Orland Park, where I have access to snacks and beverages.

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Figuring out the winters in Minneapolis

I moved to Minneapolis for the winter weather.

  • While a lot of the locals complaint about the abundance of snow and freezing cold, I look forward to it.

The long winters are considerable work and expense but there are unique opportunities. I am an avid snowmobiler and I love to snowshoe. There is something super exhilerating about the fresh cold air. Plus the area is just beautiful. I never get tired of exploring and discovering new natural wonders. When I relocated, I was very aware that tmperatures in the teens are a regular occurrence. I realized I’d be relying on a heating system for approximately eight straight months. I read up on different types of heating system to figure out the ideal choice to handle demand and provide perfect comfort. There was no debate over the best choice. For the weather in Minneapolis, a boiler heating system is perfect. While a hydronic system doesn’t provide any cooling capacity, it provides an especially gentle type of heating. Rather than sending air through ductwork to convey heat, it conveys heat by way of water through a concealed loop system. I found a house equipped with a boiler and radiant floor heating. I don’t need to worry about the heater causing issues with insufficient humidity or unpleasant cold spots. The boiler operates silently, keeps costs low and includes zone control. There’s a thermostat mounted in each room that allows me to customize temperature settings to specific requirements. I’m no paying to heat a bunch of empty rooms and I can cater to my preferences.
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Access to recreational cannabis in Lowell

As of December 2016, cannabis became legal for adults 21+ in Massachusetts to grow and possess. As a resident of Lowell, I was delighted to finally have access to a plant-based medicine by showing my identification. I have issues with insomnia, migraines and arthritis in my hands. My medical problems aren’t serious, but they negatively impact my productivity, mood and quality of life. I’ve looked into synthetic pharmaceuticals but was alarmed my the potential, long-term side-effects. I’ve tried home remedies but with little success. Fortunately, there are cannabis dispensaries within close proximity to my home in Lowell. I have visited each one and browsed their selection of products. The quality of lab-tested, organically grown cannabis is impressive. Each product is properly packaged for security and safety. The label includes accurate information, including THC levels, CBD levels and more. I can choose from full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD and isolate for pain relief and inflammation. I can pick from sativas, indicas and hybrids. I’ve found that vapes, tinctures and smoking flower is helpful for alleviating migrains due to the quick onset of effects. For insomnia, I shop edibles. I make sure to eat a portion about an hour or two before bed, and the intensity and longevity of effects give me a good night’s sleep. The dispensaries in the Lowell area carry a wide collection of tasty edibles, such as numerous falvors of gummies, brownies, cookies, chocolates, lollipops and beverages. I shop topicals for the swelling and pain in my knuckles. I rub CBD ointments into the skin and enjoy relief from my symptoms without psychoactive effects.

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