"...sharp-witted, well written, and refreshingly outspoken..." -Abigail Thomas, NY Times bestselling author of Three Dog Life and What Comes Next and How to Like It. Did you ever swear you'd never end up like your parents but you did anyway? And not only that-you discovered you actually liked it? This is the mostly true story of how a cool, hip native New Yorker married the wrong man, moved to upstate New York, went through a nasty divorce, got stuck in artsy Woodstock, a place she should have loved but actually hated and in her seventies wound up reinventing her life in a place she should have hated but wound up loving-the cultural and architectural wasteland of South Florida-despite her determination never to suffer that fate. Erica proves it is possible to survive in Florida even if you don't play canasta, or bridge, or mah-johng or even Scrabble. She is now firmly embedded in enemy territory-Century Village-which is best described by a quote from Pogo, "we have met the enemy and he is us." Erica's insightful and witty essays demonstrate that you can be a rebel, with or without a cause, no matter how old you are. "In a punk yet kind approach to the always complicated issue of aging, Manfred gets to a lot of the knotty problems of growing old when you still feel young. Heartfelt and problematic in the best way." -Julie Powell, NY Times bestselling author, Julie and Julia "Erica Manfred's new book is sharp-witted, well written, and refreshingly outspoken. Manfred is a deliciously good writer who takes no prisoners and speaks her mind. It is a lot of fun to read this." -Abigail Thomas, NY Times bestselling author, Three Dog Life and What Comes Next and How to Like it "Erica draws us into her Florida adventures with such keen attention to the details of aging in the sunlight that we can take her lessons anywhere we happen to be. . Her irreverent sense of humor carries the day " -Linda Gravenson editor: In the fullness of Time, 32 Women on Life after 50 "Erica Manfred is a snarky senior banished to Florida from hippie dippy small town Woodstock. Long winters and bad memories push her to burn bridges. She tosses things into her car and drives south in a snowstorm to restart her life in sunny Florida. Erica is a very funny writer, tussling with pool police and fighting parking space wars. Ironically, she lands up living in the same retirement complex as her deceased parents My favorite essays discussed a red diaper baby returning to her roots and surviving among Trump voters. If you are planning a move to Florida, this book a must read." -Kate Walter, author Looking for a Kiss: A Chronicle of Downtown Heartbreak and Healing
