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Is it Portugal for us?


New Digs - 2nd Floor Guest Room, ensuite
Jacaaranda Trees This video is of the ensuite bedroom on the 2nd floor. It will definitely be a guest room. I'm currently planning for the 3rd floor to have guest space as well. Even more private.
groovyrlm
2 days ago1 min read


New Digs!
I'm doing a series of videos to show where we are now and where you can be if you come visit us! This is a townhouse apartment on three levels. Yes, we do miss the elevator from our previous house in Charlotte. There are four bedrooms and four full bathrooms! So great for guests! We really do want our friends and family to come visit. Consider this an invitation. First, here's a picture that shows where the apartment we moved from is and where the current one is. The previous
groovyrlm
5 days ago1 min read


We're Moving!
We found a new apartment! No more noise from a 4-lane road! Heat! A/C! Solar heated hotwater! Shared pool and rooftop deck! New appliances! Washer/dryer combo! Closer to everything! 4 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms! Green spaces right outside the door! 3-year lease so we can settle in! 2 parking spaces in the underground parking with a storage room and electricity! Scott has a workshop again! We're excited! Come visit!! These photos are all from the advertisement for the apar
groovyrlm
Mar 251 min read


Potentially the Worst Mistake of My Life
Vale das Estrelas Before Scott and I moved to Portugal and during this first year, I’ve participated in various webinars to learn more about what's required to live here successfully. Taxes, drivers’ licenses, etc. Last month, an email came from one of the organizations that does some of the webinars. It was an invitation to (buy tickets to) a fundraising gala. The funds were to support art-based programmes for children across Portugal. It looked kind of fun and like a good
groovyrlm
Dec 14, 20253 min read


Year One in Portugal
7 December 2025 Today is, of course, Pearl Harbor Day. 84 years ago. The population of people who can remember it, ever dwindling. One year ago today, our little family of four arrived in Faro, Portugal, to live. I can’t speak about the 84 years, but the ONE year, F L E W by. Christmas decorations in Faro We were almost completely clueless about what it was going to be like. I think my expectations were somewhat curtailed by the effort of getting here. That effort mentally d
groovyrlm
Dec 7, 20254 min read


SDW - 5 THE MYSTERY OF ME
As a young child, I remember enjoying riding on boards, all kinds, but especially any little vehicle with its wheels having varying arrangements, soaking up the physics of it. The board game Mouse Trap was cool until about the third time I played and saw that it just did the same thing every time. But Mouse Trap was an important primer on potential energy and entropy. What I really didn’t like was being thrown against the door of the car as it went around a corner, and don
groovyrlm
Nov 16, 20252 min read


This Means War
Little sons of bitches need to get out of my house! Little mother fucker keeps getting peanut butter or cheese off without triggering the guillotine. This is completey unaccepable. We will be adding poison into this scenario. Then we'll take out his girlfriend. Does anybody else experience critters being in your home that aren’t supposed to be there? I don’t mean the bug variety, but actual critters. Anybody? I bought my first house in 1989. A cute little 1950’s brick ranch.
groovyrlm
Oct 15, 20253 min read


A Peanut Butter Thief in the Night
Although not litter mates, our two dogs are both thirteen years old. When she was less than two years old, Bitsy tore both of her ACLs...
groovyrlm
Oct 8, 20252 min read


A Surgery in Portugal - Part 4
Me in the hospital I realize I should start with the cost and paying for this. I mentioned earlier that MGEN (our health insurance...
groovyrlm
Sep 21, 20256 min read


The Never-ending Story?
If it ever does end, I’ll reveal the outcome The last 2 weeks have been nutty. The original back surgery was on August 7th. It went well...
groovyrlm
Sep 1, 20251 min read


Navigating Life - Post Back Surgery
Lower spine image I have a life-long** strategy for making decisions. That is to ask myself what decision sets me up for the best chance...
groovyrlm
Aug 11, 20254 min read


A Surgery in Portugal - Parts 1, 2 & 3
Say what?? PART 1 – USA Sometime after COVID is, I think, when I first started noticing that I was having nagging pain in my lower back....
groovyrlm
Aug 1, 20257 min read


SDW - 4 International Motorcycle Rally
There she is The 43 rd Faro Concentratao Motorcycle Rally just concluded. I was surprised at the size and scope of the event. I also...
groovyrlm
Jul 24, 20252 min read


Yesterday’s excursion – 80 stories into the earth
Have you ever thought about where they get salt? Probably you have a little bit. Here in southern Portugal you can pretty easily see salt...
groovyrlm
Jul 18, 20254 min read


On Being Walked By Our Dogs
Eddie and Shadow back in the day. On the bed, their rightful place. I wrote this initially for a different purpose than our blog....
groovyrlm
Jul 12, 20257 min read


Is this our last Independence Day?
I’d feel better if we were facing space aliens. Will this be the last REAL celebration of “Independence Day”? I mean, July 4, 1776...
groovyrlm
Jul 3, 20252 min read


What we’ve been up to (abbreviated write-up)
When we last visited our slightly less than intrepid couple (us), they had been to a festival that turned out to not be as expected with...
groovyrlm
Jun 27, 20253 min read


MRI Results
I've been having lower back pain for over a year. With my ever worsening ability to gauge how much time has passed, it could even be 2...
groovyrlm
Jun 2, 20253 min read


UPDATES, BENAGIL and SITA
Faro to Carvoeiro Our Stuff: We still don’t have our stuff! Waaaaa! I haven’t asked what’s going on because what good would it do?...
groovyrlm
May 28, 20255 min read


Mini blog for a special day
Greetings friends! Did you know that today is International Distinguished Gentleman's Ride Day? No? Where have YOU been? With me...
groovyrlm
May 18, 20251 min read
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