Customer Reviews

Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias

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I have lived in The Villages for over 5 years and I'm a Social Psychologist (PhD) and physician (MD). After reading a review of Blechman's book in the Boston Globe and seeing an editorial by him in the Los Angeles Times, I was prepared not to like his book and to write a scathing review.

After reading Leisureville, and personally knowing some of the people he interviewed, I find my opinion of his work to be somewhat mixed. There is much about his book that is well done. And there is much that is poorly done from the standpoint of even handed social science.

Blechman never claims to be a sociologist or psychologist or anything other than an author with a firmly entrenched point of view, viz.: age segregated communities are bad. He not only doesn't like The Villages (pop. c75,000)(www.thevillages.com), he doesn't like Sun City either. He also doesn't like the lifestyle in retirement communities. He lets you know this in the first short chapter where he bemoans the loss of his neighbors who are moving to The Villages. By page 9, he asks "How could two bright individuals be drawn to something as seemingly ridiculous as The Villages?"

As you read through the book he tries to make the point that homogeneous communities without a diveristy of age, class, lifestyle, interest, etc. are intrinsically bad. His last chapter is a summary of his position based on his non-scientific observations of The Villages, Sun City, and Youngville. Biased as his outlook is, there is still a lot in the middle that makes his book worth reading.

There are research data which support some of his positions. Homogeneous communities do not support tolerance and understanding. They tend to increase 'groupthink' and insularity. When a group is ideologically homogeneous the positions adopted by its members tend to become more inflexible and more extreme. This leads to less tendency to compromise or debate and more reactionary thinking.

Do we need to worry about the social and political effects of ageism because of age segregated communities? Do religiously segregated communites like Ave Maria or fundamentalist Mormon communities threaten civil liberties? Are gay/lesian communities a threat to life in America? How far do you want to take Blechman's rejection of homogeneous communities.

Some of the things he writes about regarding The Villages are right on the mark. Its daily newspaper is, indeed, a joke. It is so right wing that it presents Ann Coulter as an intellectual and fosters several local columnists who emulate her style.

The governance system using the Community Development Districts and their control by the developer are, in truth, a black spot on the body politic. There is little organized opposition to the status quo outside of the 5000 member Property Owners Association

Much of the rest of Blechman's book is actually pretty accurate. We do go everywhere in our golf carts, we do have wonderful restaurants, over a thousand clubs/interest groups, lots of golf at very reasonable prices ($20-30 per round on championship courses), pools,

dances, entertainment in the villages squares, opera, theater, concerts, recreation centers, good friends, neighborhood parties, etc.

Blechman does spend a bit too much time on sex in The Villages and his sources of information are not particularly representative. Sexually transmitted diseases are reportable and statistics are kept by county health departments. I have not treated an excessive number of STDs and I have not seen health department data suggesting that they are particularly prevalent in retirement communities in general or The Villages in particular. I find Blechman's emphasis on the topic of sexuality to border on pandering.

The author is good at wordcraft. Despite his obvious bias he raises some interesting questions about The Villages and about age segregated communities in general. If you want to know more about The Villages, come for a visit rather than make your mind up based on this book.

"Leisureville" is an interesting view of a growing trend: age-restricted retirement communities. Author Andrew Blechman - not yet of retirement age - focuses mainly on the mega-retirement community of The Villages outside of Orlando, FL. Living amongst the natives, he offers a sociologists perspective on the pro's and con's of such manufactured communities, with their endless golf, amenities, sunshine, canasta and surprising amounts of geriatric sexual randiness.

Pro's and con's but .. it is clear that Blechman feels the cons predominate: no sidewalks, no diversity, no kids - an artificial Truman Show-like living arrangement that rings hollow. He decries the fact that these oldsters have tuned out from society, pursuing their own visions of retirement escapism from the problems of the world.

Though I understand where he is coming from, the beauty of a free society is that people can opt to choose this lifestyle or not. Choice is paramount. No one frog-marches oldsters to such communities or forces then to remain there if they find it suffocating. Most don't. Most of the characters in Leisureville seem to have few regrets. Life is full of tradeoffs.

Society says to old people, "It's all about youth - you don't matter!" Society worships youth and marginalizes older folks. Hedonistic escapism is hardly the sole province of the aged. Oh, I get it - it's OK for youth and the Lexus-obsessed middle aged. It's just not OK for grandma and gramps. Can we begrudge them if they heed society's marginalization by seeking their own version of community - even if from the vantage point of our youth or comfortable middle age, it seems like a vision of hell?

Maybe our - and Blechman's -- perspective will change once we are old enough to walk a mile in their shoes.

I had mixed feelings about this book, so I'm not surprised to see strongly

positive and negative reviews. On the one hand, it's an eye-opening and

fascinating introduction to retirement communities. Readers who don't know

how they began or just how vast and ambitious they can be will get a sense of

it here. For that alone, it's worth reading.

On the other hand, the author's disapproving view of these communities

undercuts his reporting and makes some of it unreliable. He states

forthrightly in Chapter One that he doesn't understand how seemingly bright

people could be drawn to something as undeniably kitschy as The Villages

(the community he focuses on). He never tries very hard to achieve

enlightenment on this key point.

At times, his tone is snarky. In numerous instances, when he asks a

question of inhabitants of The Villages, their fatuous response begins with

the word "Gosh." Is it really likely that so many different people spoke

that way? Or is that just how he heard them all? And are the activities at

The Villages mainly just line-dancing and bingo? Among the 75,000 residents

and hundreds of activity groups, he couldn't find one dealing with, say,

books or art?

He did manage to devote a section to the community's lone transsexual,

probably just to highlight the oddness of it amidst the kitsch. Fun reading

but not exactly balanced reporting.

More substantively, he seems to regard the senior citizens at these

childless, school-free, low-tax retirement communities as violators of a

social compact. They've abandoned the full-service communities up North

that sustained them throughout their lives, he feels, not fulfilling their

duty to stick around and support the next generation spiritually and

financially. He makes this point throughout the book, with a somewhat

preachy cumulative effect.

His argument, though not without some merit, is flawed. These retirees

have, after all, paid taxes their whole lives. And many have their life

savings wrapped up in their homes. If they want to sell and retire after a

life of hard work, where can they live on the proceeds? A tiny apartment

somewhere? Their quality of life might be quite poor if they tried to

survive on social security and savings in many towns and cities. In most

cases they are not going to be taken in by family to live surrounded by

adoring grandchildren. Suddenly The Villages look a little better.

Blechman is weirdly oblivious to the hardships and needs of the elderly,

particularly widows and widowers. He presents an airbrushed, romanticized

picture of "real life" in his New England community, all the while sneering

at the tacky communal activities of senior citizens in The Villages.

This is a good but flawed book. With a little less bias and a slightly less

hectoring tone, it could have been a much better one.

Many Baby Boomers, as we draw closer and closer to the magic number that will allow, or maybe require, us to retire from full-time employment, find ourselves at least a little bit tempted to move into one of the hundreds of age-restricted communities that are popping up all over the country. After all, we reason, we have spent a lifetime paying taxes (including school district taxes for decades after the graduation of our last child), commuting to and from work, and tolerating the unruly behavior and noise of all those kids who live next door and down the street. Don't we deserve to live our last couple of decades in peace and quiet, among people who share our interests and concerns, and away from the noise and clutter of those not as far into life's journey as we are?

Andrew Blechman became intrigued by the concept of age-restricted communities when two of his neighbors moved from their longtime home in New England to The Villages, a Florida community designed for people wanting to immerse themselves in a lifestyle of leisure activities and relative isolation from the rest of the world. Blechman became so curious, in fact, that he moved in with his old neighbors for a few weeks to live that lifestyle for himself. Leisureville: Adventures in America's Retirement Utopias is largely the product of what he learned from the time he spent there.

Anyone considering residence in a community similar to The Villages would be wise to read Blechman's book because of his firsthand reporting of what it is like to live in a place almost completely dedicated to boiling life's experiences down to a few simple pleasures. Golfers and those into arts and crafts seem to love the place, as do those who want to cram in as much drinking and sex into the remainder of their lives as possible. But you have other interests, you say? Well, then in all likelihood you will want to avoid the lifestyle offered by The Villages and other communities like it and opt for a more traditional retirement location.

Do you resent being pandered to or brainwashed? If so, you will probably find the community-controlled newspaper, radio and television outlets that pretend that nothing bad ever happens in places like The Villages to be more than a little ludicrous. Even the "reporters" who are supposedly paid to function as news gatherers eventually come to resent all of the censorship necessary to keep smiles on the faces of community residents.

But more importantly, Blechman points out the important social issues that need to be considered before committing to life in any of America's "Leisurevilles." Is it right for retirees to yank their support from the communities whose services they have enjoyed for a lifetime? Are they abandoning their generational obligations by deciding not to serve as readily accessible role models to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren? Now that they have the luxury of so much free time should they be using some of it to better their communities by working for social or structural changes from there?

Those are just a few of the questions that Blechman asks in his book. There are good arguments to be made on both sides of the issue as to whether or not age-restricted settings like The Villages are a good thing or a bad thing. For some people, these communities offer exactly the lifestyle most suited to their retirement years. For others the very thought of moving into such a community is mind numbing, at best, and horrifying, at worst.

Leisureville moved me one giant step closer to deciding what kind of retirement setting will be best for me and my wife. But I also came away from the book with the understanding that, although age-segregated, gated communities have no appeal to us, they will appeal to many others - and are absolutely perfect for some.

Personally, I am certain that we would be bored in a community where golf, alcohol and casual sex are such prominent parts of the lifestyle that everything else seems secondary. For us it is more important to remain close to family and to enjoy the benefits of living in a diverse community with so much more to offer than golf courses, bars and community centers. I sincerely believe that aging is as much mental as it is physical, and that the mental part is much easier to govern while surrounded by family, a diverse group of fellow citizens and neighbors, museums, university access, and live sports and entertainment choices.

I enjoyed this book. Like some of the other readers I am a resident of the Villages. There are pros and cons no matter where you live. But, the Villages comes as close to the ideal retirement as you can get. The fact that you can come from any walk of life and still be able to live like you are rich is very desirable.

If I have any correction to the book, it is the fact that there are no children. Children are everywhere here. No, they are not allowed to live in this community but they are allowed to visit and visit they do. One of the attractions of the Villages for us was the fact that they are so welcoming to children. During school breaks they have several golf lessons for kids, Easter Bunny things during Easter and the biggest one of all is Camp Villages. Camp Villages runs around six weeks during the summer. You can sign up your grandchildren for a multiple of activities during the week and there are special events and special activities for teenagers. We just had our granddaughter attend her first camp and she was crying as she was going home. She didn't want to leave and she is 14!!! One activity she did was a art class that lastest three hours. They were taught all kinds of things and at a cost of only $10.00 to the grandparents. At this class she met a girl that she hit it off with and they are planning on coming together next year. Grandchildren of Villagers have the opportunity to experience quality time with their grandparents that is unique only to the Villages.

So folks you can think what you want but until you experience the lifestyle of the Villages there is no way anyone can explain this place to you.

Blechman raises three issues that are of paramount importance, all of which make it worthwhile reading for anyone -- especially in the Northeast -- who is grappling with generational issues in local government; it should also be of interest to those who are concerned about the long-term physical and resource impact of age-restrictd communities.

First, if we do value our seniors, why aren't we doing more on a local level to encourage them to stay in integrated communities? The cost of public education, health and other benefits, and an aging infrastructure are clobbering the tax base, but we may need to find the extra money in strained municipal budget to better support programs that make life in the communities in which they've lived for decades easier and more rewarding for them. That said, seniors have hardly helped their cause -- it is tiresome to hear well-heeled retirees complain that they shouldn't shoulder some of the burden for the exact same municipal services that previous generations willingly provided them when they were raising children.

Second, what is going to happen to The Villages and Sun City as they decay? These are not particularly well-constructed or sustainable communities. If the people who live there do not invest in their future -- by repairing infrastructure and building a strong team of municipal employees -- the housing stock and streets will eventually decline. These seniors are fleeing that very problem, but it will follow them if they live long enough. Local communities may yet wind up paying for these developments.

Third, Florida and especially Arizona are already in serious trouble with water usage. These seniors may not be around when water shortages become a fact of daily life, but their children will be.

I just finished reading "Leisureville." Have now lived in The Villages for 2 years. Sadly,I feel that Mr. Blechman writes as if each and every member of our community, or any retirement community or better said, age restricted community, lives as Mr. Midnight does...caring only about themselves. Some might, but that's not true for all. Is everyone friendly? There are some who aren't, but just about all are. Is it beautiful here? You bet it is and after spending years raising children, doing without, helping out, sacrificing, and putting up with, why can't people decide how to spend their time and hard earned money? It isn't parties day and night, but it is fun to spend time with people who understand you, have had similar experiences. Give me a break, a child was reprimanded for riding a skateboard in town? Most towns or shopping centers don't allow bikes or skateboard on the sidewalks. And believe me, one scolding from an adult isn't going to "sour" any child on all older citizens.

Is there ethnic diversity? Who cares? Why is that important? If someone opts to "leave the community that nurtured them" during their youth, why shouldn't they? They weren't getting a free ride, they paid taxes just as they still do in their new locales. What Mr. Blechman must now do is become a part of the community he lives in, and not leave all the work for the older adults. By the end of the book, it seems we know that he now has. Good for him. Some have made the decision to move in a different direction. People get old, they move, they die, that's life. What if his neighbors had died instead of moving? Maybe that's okay, it is part of the normal progression ...you're born, you live, you die....but apparently, you don't segregate yourself from children. He never talked about the family communities that surround The Villages. There are a number of them, one just recently finished. If I were younger, with children, I'd live there. He doesn't talk about the seniors who help at the schools. He doesn't talk about programs for the children. Heck they don't want parks to play in here, they'd rather do things with their grandparents...and they do. The Villages has brought many businesses to the area and contrary to what Mr. Blechman says, though the kids aren't running on the streets with homes, they are in the town square, they are in the stores, the shops, the restaurants. There are schools, heck we have an elementary, junior and senior high school here in our community. And he's right, there isn't a maternity ward in the hospital, other local hospitals do have them, so those who need such a ward aren't lacking.

I love children, and believe me, there are children around here. The kids love this place, too. There are activities for them, especially in the summer. My adult children love it here, also, and want to live in this community. As much as I love them, I enjoy living among my peers. What Mr. Blechman doesn't seem to understand is that these days are not like the days his Grandmother lived in....life is hectic, almost frantic....(maybe not in his quaint New England town..and I was raised in one of those quaint New England towns, too.) Today kids don't have the time or the places to play like people from our generation had.....today kids live in cars, they are driven from one place to another, from one activity to another, never getting a chance to learn to amuse themselves. They are restless...they are entertained, they don't necessarily get the chance to be children. Grandparent suggestions aren't always met with favor by some of today's parents so the endearing image of youngsters listening and learning from grandparents doesn't happen as often as one would hope, though it does here. Children spend better time with their grandparents here than I remember children spending with their nearby grandparents when I was young. Parents today might both work, they have to, life is expensive....and that's the other thing, WHY do we have to leave $$ to our children? Many people our age are still helping their children financially, as well as helping their parents. Why can't we use our money, money we earned, it wasn't "left to us," as we wish? Our generation wasn't given things, though we did give to our children when they were growing up. Maybe that wasn't such a good thing..;)

One thing all need to remember is that no one is forced to live in this community or any other retirement community. When one buys here, you are informed about what type of "government" is in place, what the rules are, and many communities have CC&R's...heck I lived with them for over 30 years in CA....you decided for yourself.

Did I enjoy the book? I read it in an afternoon, it was an easy read but I felt it didn't accurately describe a unique area in Florida. No one really can understand what this community is like without truly living here. Andrew did visit, but he didn't really get to know the community...he saw a very small number of a rather large group of people. He wasn't here when the tornado struck.....yes life went on, but those impacted were helped. Shelters were opened, no one needed them, friends took in friends. Roads were cleared, work on restoration was started immediately and I mean immediately. People united as those of community do. There were a large number of homes impacted, but considering the total number of homes that make up The Villages, it was a relatively small number....life had to go on. Money was raised to help the surrounding towns impacted. Andrew is young. He, too, will one day be older, hopefully, and maybe then he'll realize that life does continues on no matter what happens, good or bad so, why not enjoy every minute you can.

Will The Villages go the way of some other retirement communities? I hope not, it's not like any other retirement community I've ever seen. I don't believe it will. New people move in constantly...I know, I see the moving trucks go by on one of the main streets behind my lovely home each day. Would it be better run by its citizens? Not necessarily.

All in all, The Villages is a beautiful community, bringing plenty of additional tax revenue to a rather small county, as well as additional jobs for young and old. I don't regret moving here at all....traffic, crime, gangs were becoming a way of life where I lived in CA....it's nice to be able to come home to a community that's about the same size as the town I left and not worry about someone spray painting graffiti on neighborhood property or much worse and there was worse. More and more businesses are being attracted to the area, good for those of us in The Villages, good for those who live in surrounding family homes and apartments.

My review wasn't necessarily a review about Leisureville as it was a review of Andrew's mindset. Sadly, he sometimes sounds like a spoiled child, protesting that older adults are no longer there to help out...someone else is going to have to work, heaven forbid, younger people. He also points out that there is something lacking for seniors in many, many communities. Alas, this has always been the story. People are retiring at a younger age, they've worked long and hard and now want to enjoy...something their parents might not have been able to do. Parents and Grandparents probably worked till they could no longer, they missed out on many things, they sacrificed. Are we boomers selfish, hedonistic fools? I don't think so...we want to have a chance to do some of the things we've not been able to do because we were busy rearing our children, fighting for and fighting against our government, dealing with careers or professions, our jobs, saving. Let us have our time. Work hard, raise your children, love them, teach them well and when you finally feel you've worked long and hard enough, may you have the health and wealth to enjoy, no matter where you want to live.

Since I'm contemplating moving to a child-free retirement community,

I thought it was fortuitous that I came across LEISUREVILLE

by Andrew D. Blechmam . . . the book's subtitle, ADVENTURES

IN AMERICA'S RETIREMENT UTOPIAS, intrigued me even

more . . . so I got hold of my own copy and because it was

so engrossing, I was able to finish it in just a few days.

Blechman concentrates on The Villages, the largest gated

community in the world (located in Florida, outside of Orlando) . . . his

quote from one resident actually mirrored my reaction when I visited

there this past December:

* "Life in The Villages is really too much to describe," Betsy added."It's

simply unforgettable. For me, it was love at first sight." She patted her

heart for emphasis. "I can only equate it to the movie The Stepford Wives.

Everyone had a smile on their face like it's too good to be true. But it

really is."

Another resident said something else that I heard often when

I was there:

* "Isn't it nice?" she asks. "People call it 'Disney for adults,' and I'm

beginning to understand why. I just can't believe I'm here. I've met

people that have been here for five years and they're still pinching

themselves. It's like being on a permanent vacation."

All is not perfect, though, as the author points out . . . there are

detractors, such as this one:

* "What do I think of The Villages and all this development?" Alan

says. "I think it stinks. They're building without any regard to the land.

I'm no tree hugger, but I hate to see the land raped the way they're doing it.

They're shipping in all sorts of clay and sand just so they can make the

land flat. They're cutting down trees, and putting in lakes where there

weren't any. There's only one saving grace about this whole nonsense--it'll

be gorgeous when it's done."

What I especially liked about LEISUREVILLE was the fact that it provided

additional insight into this housing trend . . . Blechman also went

to Arizona to show what has happened to those who pioneered the

concept, he attended a builders' conference, and he spoke with

housing experts.

He came away thinking that such a life is not for him, as he indicated

toward the close of the book:

* "But when push comes to shove, I'm not interested in the Faustian

bargain that living in a controlled community demands. I love my town,

arts and all, and take comfort in the knowledge that no entertainment

specialist designed our downtown; nor can it be bought, sold or

traded like a golf certificate."

That I came to a different conclusion probably deals with my

feelings about such a life . . . I like my present town, yet

I think that life in The Villages (or someplace similar) would be

something that I'd welcome!

This not going to be another one of those "My ox got gored" reviews.

Although I am a senior, and I choose not to live behind the facade of a sterile environment such as The Villages -- that doesn't mean others shouldn't. In all fairness, I should point out that as one of many who were interviewed for background for the book, I was primed to read and enjoy Leisureville.

I did both -- and as an observer of more than 30 years standing of Arizona senior citizens-only communities, I found that what Blechman reports in Arizona is as close to the truth as most would want to get. There is one error however, no skate park was ever built in Youngtown, Arizona -- the mayor and councilmembers were recalled by the voters before it could happen.

This very readable and amusing non-fiction book, at times is a study of the sexual mores of senior citizens in Florida (...and apparently a good time was had by most). However, the food for thought is found in the apparent desire of many residents of The Villages (and Arizona's retirement communities) to live a worry-free, carefree lifestyle where they no longer have to make any serious decisions. In this case, that means ceding their responsibility for the community to the project developer. Welcome to 1984 -- in 2008 -- it took longer than most of us thought to get there, and we are a bit surprised upon arrival to find it's not government in control, but big business(are they one and the same?).

Blechman's investigation has turned the joke bumper sticker "We are spending our children's inheritance" into a serious statement for some older individuals. While the book reports on just one microcosm of American society, it is clear that some older individuals have adopted the hedonistic attitude of the recent generations, as well as their "Me First" livestyle. Blechman's reporting doesn't condemn their choices and it is never condescending -- it is what it is -- a reporter's journey to the fringes of society, one of many interesting cultural and social phenomenons -- and back again to reality, or at least the reality of one person's perceptions.

Perhaps this ongoing movement by seniors to seek isolation from the worries of the world is a backlash resulting from the devaluation of senior citizens in our American society. The extended family-type homes are going, going, gone and the Walton's have left the building so to speak. The concept of The Villages is certainly a better idea than the trend of depositing seniors in nursing homes (euphemistically called Rest Homes), group homes and dingy apartments in downtown areas of our largest cities. Yet, what is to become of those seniors whose financial situation do not afford them a choice of this life style? Is The Villages a realistic alternative to senior citizen fear of crime, xenophobia and/or even miscegenation. All of the seniors only communities investigated by Blechman appear to be more of an "opt out" plan, than a pragmatic solution to the societal attitude conveyed by many of the current generation, i.e. that senior citizens have nothing to offer and should crawl out on their ice floes and die.

Many who read this book may see themselves in it and won't like the image in the mirror. Others will think the reporting is right on target. This is usual with most controversial and topical reports. Perhaps the saving grace for the writer (and the readers too) is that many Americans are skeptics and won't think the findings apply to them anyway

Those readers who believe that sex is only for procreation may find this book scatalogical. Those who think that sex among seniors is something that shouldn't be talked about may be offended by the graphic language and words used as they pertain to the sexual habits of some seniors. My advice is "get real". If sex were not a part of the human condition, none of us would be reading this review. Many Americans seem to be peculiarly concerned with sex, it's not that they don't do it, it's just that they would rather we not talk about it -- perhaps it is our Puritanical heritage.

As with most socialogical investigations, the conclusions of the reader when they finish "Leisureville" will depend upon whose ox has been gored.

"Leisureville" is an interesting, entertaining, balanced and easily readable inquiry into the somewhat unknown world of AARP-aged seniors and their age restricted communities in the United States. Andrew Blechman's reporting is understandable without one having to sort through all of the governmental statistics, numerical percentages and political hype. He interviews and briefly follows the senior lifestyles of several human specimens that may be -- some would say -- are not -- typical of the residents found in seniors-only communities. One can only assume that Blechman has simply reported what he found.

Blechman also considers and discusses the implications of government by Home Owners Association, CC&Rs and governing by politically influential developers, all of whom seem to also have control over the local media -- at least in one of the communities he visited.

Although Blechman seems to find that a world without children may be acceptable to others, it is not acceptable to him. There are broader implications. Leisureville leaves one asking: Are the age-restricted developments an example of the "Me First" attitude? Cultural mores, in the U.S., appear to be moving away from working together as a society for the betterment of all. Isolation can't be the answer. Perhaps "I Got Mine" might seem an apt slogan for some of the age restricted communities (my suggestion, not the author's).

Maybe age-restricted communities are a riposte for the degradation of our senior residents? The cultural norm seems to be: the older you are, the less value you have to society -- seniors are increasingly being seen as superfluous (that is at least part of what the hysterics and paranoia associated with President Obama's health care reform are about).

Blechman asks and answers the question of: Where are the ageing members of our population that are financially unable to buy into the 'American Dream - Senior Style'? One may successfully argue that age restricted communities are a far better idea than squalid one-room flats in decaying downtowns to which many elderly have seemingly been abandoned. Maybe a better idea for those unable to afford the 'American Dream - Senior Style" is to stock up on books, be sure to include Andrew Blechman's "Pigeons", then wait in line for the ice floe.