I hope everybody is having a wonderful summer. It's been very busy here at the Grand Coquina, especially the weekends. It's great to see everybody enjoying the amenities which are really the best on our beautiful beach.
It's been a while since I've posted and much has happened in the interim. Larry and I went to Alaska and had a magnificent time. We were there early May and even though it was very cold, we had beautiful, clear weather and were able to enjoy a helicoper ride to a glacier and train ride through the Yukon. Even our few days in Seattle were dry and clear. We had a "whale" of a time before we returned to chaos in our personal lives.
As most of you know who follow this blog or who know me, I was on the Board of Directors for Seaside Music Theater. I urged you all to go to shows and support it financially. It was truly a jewel in our own back yard. Unfortunately, while I was away, a decision was made to cancel the summer season due to financial shortfalls. Layoffs ensued, including my daughter, Nikki, who was the assistant marketing director for the theater. She is now freelancing and has acquired some good clients. About 50% of the staff were let go and just this past week more were let go. It appears that the situation is dire and there doesn't seem to be a lot of hope out there for a financial backer to step in. I have since resigned from the board after some decisions were made by remaining staff that I couldn't agree with, which I won't go into in this post. I still wish the theater well and hope it can survive in this disastrous economic environment.
Most of the problems the theater has encountered stem from the News Journal being barred from giving any financial support to the theater because of the lawsuit they are involved in with Cox Newspapers and their impending forced sale. The News Journal, in an effort to downsize and become more profitable, laid off about 110 of its employees a month ago. Fortunately, Larry was not one of them. He has, however, shifted his workday a bit, so if you see him out and about in the building in the middle of the night, don't worry. He's just doing his job. There will probably be more cuts when a new owner takes over, whenever that is, but whatever will be will be.
On a brighter note, our daughter will be having another baby in December and this time it is a boy!!! We're very excited, to say the least.
The building is looking great. The inside pool area was redone and the landscaping has been updated, both looking spectacular. The second and third floors and elevators were tiled and always look beautiful and clean. What a difference that has made. Many of you have asked me when we're doing the first floor. Even though it has been assessed for, the majority of the Board doesn't seem to want to move forward with it at this time. Quite frankly, I am tired of fighting them. At some point you just have to say, what's the point, and put your energy somewhere else, which is what I am doing. I am continuing to work in the reverse mortgage industry and have recently acquired my certification as a Certified Senior Advisor. This has given me the opportunity to do good work as well as help people. You can't ask for more than that.
I hope more of you will consider posting your experiences here. It's an easy way to keep in touch and learn about others. Have a great summer and see you around the building.
Randee
