a girl, a house on the beach, and a one-way ticket...day 28

I know it was only a short time ago when I took a poll about whether I should leave Las Vegas. And granted, it was only a year before that when I asked for input about whether I should move to Vegas. And OK, yes, before that the phone lines were busy with Chicago and New York. Well, surprise surprise I'm taking an official vote again on whether I should stay here or return to Ohio. I believe voters should be well informed, so I've provided some pros and cons about living in Naples that I've observed thus far and am currently weighing.

CON: SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW TRAFFIC


PRO: LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG SUNSETS


PRO: BEAUTIFUL BIRDS


CON: KILLER BIRDS


CON: REPTILES


PRO:FAIR WARNING


PRO: RITZ CARLTON RESIDENT PEDICURIST WHO--I KID YOU NOT--BELIEVES HIS IS A CALLING FROM GOD (Formally, Prince Bryant--as the locals like to call him--served the Lord as--I kid you not again--a US Army special operations soldier).


CON: RITZ CARLTON PEDICURIST WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE LINCOLN PARK AFTER DARK AND ALL THE OTHER GUNMETAL SHADES I LIKE ARE BECOMING ON THE FEET OF ONE OF THE LORD'S DAUGHTERS (at least you can sleep better tonight, mom, knowing that finally! finally! your daughter is wearing pink toe nail polish).


PRO: AMAZINGLY NEIGHBORLY NEIGHBORS (Please note that I don't know Mr. Whitinger and am now presently wondering if this is actually a bit creepy)


CON: CHALLENGING REGIONAL COLLOQUIALISMS (such as linai, which in American means "screened in porch")


PRO: AN ABUNDANCE OF STARBUCKS


CON: AN ABUNDANCE OF HURRICANES*


Polls are open, people...

*BUT and this is just in...a reliable source, which is soooooo not Cosmopolitan Magazine, took a poll of 1.3 million Americans and listed the people who live in Florida as the second happiest in the country. And, interestingly, those in Louisiana were listed as the happiest, which obliterates the common misconception that hurricanes make people, um, unhappy.