Things To Do In SW Florida

NASA bumped up the return flight home plans for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission that includes a pair of astronauts who were left behind on the International Space Station by Boeing’s Starliner.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived to the station on June 6, 2024 for what was supposed to have been as short as an eight-day stay, but have now been on board for 9 1/2 months.

They are now slated to fly home with Crew-9 commander and NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who flew up to the station last September aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom. The four will climb aboard the spacecraft late Monday and undock from the space station at 1:05 a.m. Tuesday.

Splashdown is slated off the Florida coast about 17 hours later at 5:57 p.m.

The quartet’s departure will come about two full days after the arrival of Crew-10 to the station, which brought the orbiting science laboratory’s population up to 11 temporarily. NASA had planned on having Crew-9 leave no earlier than Wednesday, but are taking advantage of good weather conditions in the primary landing spot off Florida’s Gulf Coast. read more

Kaká, an internationally renowned former soccer player who had a three-season stint with Orlando City, has sold his Isleworth mansion with a soccer field in a side yard for $4.35 million.

The 6,665-square-foot home, located on a 0.7-acre lot at 5410 Monterrey Club Ct. in Isleworth, has six bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms. The home, which sold in late February, overlooks a portion of the Isleworth Golf & Country Club and provides spectacular views of a private body of water that isn’t accessible from the Butler Chain of Lakes.

“This home is truly unique because of its incredible setting. It sits on a quiet cul-de-sac with breathtaking views of Hourglass Pond, creating a sense of peace and privacy that’s hard to find,” listing agent Luis Martins of On Me Realty told GrowthSpotter.

“What really stands out to me is the perfect balance between luxury and comfort,” Martins said. “The six spacious bedrooms make it easy to host family and friends without ever feeling crowded. The outdoor space is just as impressive, with a summer kitchen and an oversized pool that’s perfect for entertaining. And the lower level is a hidden gem—with a cozy kitchenette and a billiard room, it’s the ideal spot to unwind. Everything about this home feels like a retreat.” read more

I am ticked off because I need to travel from Eustis to Orlando for a medical procedure and I can’t find anyone who is willing to transport me to the hospital, wait for the end of the procedure and then return me home.  You would think there would be some form of transportation available in this area.  I have tried surfing the internet but can’t come up with anything.

I’m so tired of my daughter’s housekeeping, if you can even call it that. Her house is always cluttered, with dirty countertops, tabletops, filthy floors and toilets. If something is on the floor she just pushes it aside instead of picking it up. Teach your children to be slobs too! Your husband is disgusted with you too but is trying his best to clean up too. What do you do all day?

To the person who complained about the Strawberry Festival’s high prices. Your latest comment is attacking the people that made negative remarks about your experience saying they were not there and they should mind their own business. Well, you made it everyone’s business my making a public complaint in the local newspaper! read more

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance docked with the International Space Station just after midnight Sunday beginning the countdown for the return of a pair of Boeing Starliner astronauts that have been on board the station since last summer.

With the Crew-10 spacecraft and space station both traveling at 17,500 mph about 260 miles over the Atlantic Ocean, the final approach had Endurance moving at less than 4 inches per second.

It made initial contact with the station’s forward port of the Harmony module at 12:04 a.m. The four members of the mission are NASA astronaut and commander Anne McClain, NASA astronaut and pilot Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.

“It was so amazing to see the ISS shining in the darkness of space,” said Onishi after docking. “We have a lot of exciting work ahead of us that we are looking forward to.”

Their arrival for now increases the space station population to 11 including Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who arrived to the station on June 6, 2024 on Starliner as part of its Crew Flight Test, but have since been shifted to become members of Crew-9. read more

Many more individuals are now participating in 401(k) retirement plans than ever before.

New regulations have made it easier for companies to offer 401(k) plans. The current regulations allow companies to automatically establish 401(k) plans for their employees. When employers offer company matches as a percentage of the amount of employee contributions, it makes the 401(k) plan an attractive option for employees.

With a 401(k) plan, many employees would not have the advantage of being able to make tax-free contributions, receive an employer match, and be able to invest in a wide variety of equity and bond options, with dividends, interest and capital growth on a tax-deferred basis. With an employer match, the 401(k) option becomes very attractive.

As I pointed out recently, Congress has established regulations associated with various retirement plan options to allow employees the option of making some withdrawals from their plans penalty-free and still be able to maintain the retirement account, make additional contributions and receive tax-deferred benefits with the assets remaining in the account. read more