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| Share a glass of wine with me on the balcony! |
There are seven awesome things I didn’t realize I would love so much when I moved into a high rise. I have lived in many places, houses, apartments, a cabin on a cruise ship, and even lived in a trailer in the desert one hot miserable summer. But a few years ago, my husband and I moved to Florida, so I could move closer to family, and he could work at the Hard Rock. I had one demand I wanted to live on the ocean. It had been a dream of mine all my life. I wanted to go to sleep at night with the sound of the waves roaring in the background. Unfortunately, we installed hurricane doors and windows that work so well I can’t hear the ocean when the doors are shut.
We sold our house, and moved into a much smaller apartment, almost half the size. We live in a complex of four buildings, 800 apartments. Of course, the haters all wondered how I could leave a house for an apartment in the sky.
From Boca Raton to South Beach the A1A is high rise heaven. The road is bordered with high rises Fifty miles of ocean front apartments for every taste. From the glamour of Bal Harbour to the futuristic skyline of Sunny Isles there is a wide range of choices.
My husband and I love to travel and it is so nice not to
have to worry about our apartment when we are gone. Another great perk there is
always someone at the reception desk to accept our packages and make sure they
will be there when we return from our trip. My husband works until four in the
morning, I love knowing that security is near.
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| Our newly renovated lobby! |
I don’t know about you, but I have bought many gym memberships but at the end of a long day the thought of getting back in my car and going to the gym is daunting. Now I just have to take the elevator down to gym, they even offer yoga. It is hardly ever busy, and I can always get the machine of my choice.
Even better than the gym is the restaurant. It will never be awarded a Michelin star but if I’m hungry and lazy I can go downstairs. I hate to get a lukewarm pizza, well I can order a handmade one just a short elevator ride away. That means it is hot and tasty when it arrives at my door.
This is the perk that really seals the deal. The first time I saw beach service was on the French Riviera. You could rent an umbrella and a chair, at exorbitant rates in Cannes. Now, when I decide to go the beach, I ride the elevator down. Someone grabs me a beach chair and an umbrella and I’m set up for a day at the beach, like at a fancy hotel but better, it’s free. Then I grab lunch, beach service is a game changer.
To live in an apartment, you have to embrace a minimalist style. Too much clutter, and you begin to seem like a hoarder. I had to get rid of most of my furniture. It was too big for my apartment, but then I got to buy new stuff. Since I love furniture shopping maybe it was a plus.
Southern Florida is a mecca for people from all over the
world. They all want to live here, Russians, Colombians, Venezuelans, Canadians,
and even a few Americans mostly from New York. Needless to say, our homeowners’
meetings are very entertaining.
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| I finally found the end of the rainbow! |
The most amazing thing is living on the 22nd floor. I am always in sight of the sea. When I sit on the balcony, I get to watch the birds fly by. Since our apartment overlooks the beach and the famous Broadwalk in Hollywood we can watch the action below us. As a city girl I like to be around people, and here I never have to be alone. One of our favorite things is sitting on the balcony, and watching the cruise ships sail out of Port Everglades. I can lie in bed and pretend I am on am onboard.
I am just trying to spread a little cheer in the world. I
would love to hear what is awesome about where you live. Because sometimes we
forget that, ‘life is good,’ is not just a slogan on a T-shirt.
Click the link below to order at Amazon
Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
To check out my interview in The Big Thrill, click the link below.
Casino Queen by Cara Bertoia | THE BIG THRILL
Cara Bertoia is the author of Casino Queen a new mystery novel that will be published by the Wild Rose Press on March 16th. It is based on the many true stories she lived through in her many years in the casino industry although the names have been changed to protect the guilty. Read the blurb here.
Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino and is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.
Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of challenging guests, growing revenue while rooting out corruption.
In the process of rediscovering her inner strength, she learns, you have to gamble like your life depends on it. Because it often does.
