I'm stopped at a coffee shop in downtown Truckee. OK, OK, I haven't made it that far. But we got a late start this morning, and I went ahead of Karen so she could handle some last-minute errands and catch up with me on the interstate. Right now, I'm just waiting for her to pull up with the dog. The cats are exploring the rental truck cab.
Probably because of the frantic nature of our exit, I wasn't exactly saddled by sorrow in leaving. It's not that I dislike Nevada City in any way; it's just that I'm so excited about starting the next chapter of my life. Karen is amazingly excited, too, which makes it that much better.
A funny thing about starting a massive moving project on Oct. 31....it's easy to forget that it's halloween. So I keep wondering why there are so many people at coffee shops with pink hair, or why the bank manager was wearing a black leather jacket and matching chaps. Ending Day 1 in Nevada should be an interesting experience on Halloween, too.
Oh, one other bit of cool news. I put my old, clunky, 15-pound laptop on eBay, where apparently these things are still popular. I ended up getting $220.50 for it! That's half a tank of gas in the rental truck! Woohoo!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
All my worldly possessions in one yellow truck
A few weeks back, Karen and I began debating whether we should hire movers to help pack our stuff into the rental truck. We didn't want to pay the thousands to actually movers take it cross-country, but we're not so hot at the loading part.
At the time, I was against the idea. We have friends with strong backs and plenty of time.
I was very wrong.
Today, the movers saved our ass. They packed 2,000 gallons of crap into a 1,000-gallon box. Meanwhile, we were able to clean. And clean. And clean some more! Why is that a good thing? Because that's that much less cleaning to do tomorrow. And plus, my fridge is immaculate. Now that there's no food in it. There's still five beers and a half-empty can of cat food, though.
Tonight we'll grab some dinner with friends and relax a bit before waking up in our barren home and scrubbing it clean. So far, everything's on schedule. Strangely, I've been most stressed about getting the truck loaded. (I took a wild guess on the truck size, but there was no going back.) With that done, the only other challenge is getting over the Donner Pass, then the Rockies, at a time when there's already snow falling in the high elevations.
Sometimes I think the only thing harder than moving would have been staying put.
At the time, I was against the idea. We have friends with strong backs and plenty of time.
I was very wrong.
Today, the movers saved our ass. They packed 2,000 gallons of crap into a 1,000-gallon box. Meanwhile, we were able to clean. And clean. And clean some more! Why is that a good thing? Because that's that much less cleaning to do tomorrow. And plus, my fridge is immaculate. Now that there's no food in it. There's still five beers and a half-empty can of cat food, though.
Tonight we'll grab some dinner with friends and relax a bit before waking up in our barren home and scrubbing it clean. So far, everything's on schedule. Strangely, I've been most stressed about getting the truck loaded. (I took a wild guess on the truck size, but there was no going back.) With that done, the only other challenge is getting over the Donner Pass, then the Rockies, at a time when there's already snow falling in the high elevations.
Sometimes I think the only thing harder than moving would have been staying put.
Friday, October 28, 2005
It is done!
Not that we wait until the last minute or anything, but Karen and I are finally...FINALLY certified massage therapists. We finished our 55 hours of out-of-class practice this week and got our certificates from the instructor last night. Which is good, since it's the last time we'll probably see him for a good few years.
If you had told me three years ago that I would now be a massage therapist, I would have either A. doubted your prognosticative powers or B. rethought my planned move to California.
It's still a hard thing to explain to people who don't know us well. Hell, for that matter, it's hard to explain to close friends and family. I largely did it because it was part of my jujitsu studies, but I could have put it off until I was further along in my training. Most schools in our system don't seem to teach massage until the student is advanced in the martial side of the art.
But ask yourself this. What's a more likely scenario:
The gratuitous move update of the day:
It's packin' day! Of course, we've been packing for weeks, but we load the truck tomorrow morning, so everything needs to be done today. We've been up since 7 a.m. getting the place stowed, and it's actually going pretty well. Tonight we'll probably just get some drinks with friends and relax as we get the last stuff done.
Here's the rough schedule:
If you had told me three years ago that I would now be a massage therapist, I would have either A. doubted your prognosticative powers or B. rethought my planned move to California.
It's still a hard thing to explain to people who don't know us well. Hell, for that matter, it's hard to explain to close friends and family. I largely did it because it was part of my jujitsu studies, but I could have put it off until I was further along in my training. Most schools in our system don't seem to teach massage until the student is advanced in the martial side of the art.
But ask yourself this. What's a more likely scenario:
- I'm surrounded by armed thugs in a Hong Kong marketplace, and only my secret ninja powers will save the day.
- A friend gets a sore back.
The gratuitous move update of the day:
It's packin' day! Of course, we've been packing for weeks, but we load the truck tomorrow morning, so everything needs to be done today. We've been up since 7 a.m. getting the place stowed, and it's actually going pretty well. Tonight we'll probably just get some drinks with friends and relax as we get the last stuff done.
Here's the rough schedule:
- Saturday: Load truck
- Sunday: Clean house from top to bottom
- Monday: Start the trek, hopefully making it to Ely, Nevada.
- Tuesday: Make it to Grand Junction, Colo.
- Wednesday: Get to Denver and spend half the day visiting friends.
- Thursday: Get to Kansas City.
- Friday: Get to Nashville.
- Saturday: Arrive in Birmingham by mid-day. Unlock truck, tell family not to scuff the nice furniture, and go eat nachos while they unload it all. OK, OK. I might share the nachos.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Update no. 2 (two in one day! what a deal)
Dateline: Athens, Ga. Corner Coffee (open 24 hours)
As I continue to kill time before my killer flight back home, I realized I forgot to mention that I SOLD MY CAR!
The girl who first expressed a strong interest dropped out a few days later. So I rushed out an ad in the newspaper and on Craig's List. As I was putting the "For Sale" sign up in my car window, my neighbor Neil walked by. I joked that he should buy my car, and he actually stopped for a minute to look at it. He said, "Yeah, this could work."
We were leaving for San Francisco just then, so I told him to think about it for a few days. He was already pretty excited. When we returned, he test drove it and (halfway through the drive) said he would take it for the list price of $13,500.
Yeah, yeah, some people have emotional attachments to their cars. I loved my car, but I can't say I loved the idea of dragging it cross-country, paying the gas to do so, or hanging onto it just to watch its value continue deteriorating. Plus, I probably would have only gotten $10,000 or so for trade-in value, so this is like making money. Most importantly, it gives us a big fat financial cushion for our move. So yeeha.
I suppose I should mention the great time we had in San Francisco, where we took our last California vacation. We took Jonas and let him run wild and free at the beach and in the massive SF dog park. We also did a lot of aimless driving around neighborhoods and stopped in some wonderful little restaurants. My personal favorite was a little French place called Baker Street Bistro, where we sat under a heater on the chilly patio, eating lamb stew and warm goat cheese salad. But "The Carnalicious" pizza at Giorgio's was pretty incredible, too.
Mmm, I'm hungry.
As I continue to kill time before my killer flight back home, I realized I forgot to mention that I SOLD MY CAR!
The girl who first expressed a strong interest dropped out a few days later. So I rushed out an ad in the newspaper and on Craig's List. As I was putting the "For Sale" sign up in my car window, my neighbor Neil walked by. I joked that he should buy my car, and he actually stopped for a minute to look at it. He said, "Yeah, this could work."
We were leaving for San Francisco just then, so I told him to think about it for a few days. He was already pretty excited. When we returned, he test drove it and (halfway through the drive) said he would take it for the list price of $13,500.
Yeah, yeah, some people have emotional attachments to their cars. I loved my car, but I can't say I loved the idea of dragging it cross-country, paying the gas to do so, or hanging onto it just to watch its value continue deteriorating. Plus, I probably would have only gotten $10,000 or so for trade-in value, so this is like making money. Most importantly, it gives us a big fat financial cushion for our move. So yeeha.
I suppose I should mention the great time we had in San Francisco, where we took our last California vacation. We took Jonas and let him run wild and free at the beach and in the massive SF dog park. We also did a lot of aimless driving around neighborhoods and stopped in some wonderful little restaurants. My personal favorite was a little French place called Baker Street Bistro, where we sat under a heater on the chilly patio, eating lamb stew and warm goat cheese salad. But "The Carnalicious" pizza at Giorgio's was pretty incredible, too.
Mmm, I'm hungry.
Update from Bulldog country
Dateline: Athens, Ga. Walker Pub & Coffee
Well, my two days of interviews for the student newspaper adviser position at the University of Georgia are done, and I'd say it went pretty well. The students were a tough bunch to win over, and they tossed out some great questions about how I would help them and the paper.
The big thing that struck me is the amazing building that houses The Red and Black. It's a huge, new site built just for the independent paper. Between that and their abundance of full-time positions, it's obvious the paper is doing pretty well financially.
It sounds like I won't hear back from them for two weeks or so. Another candidate is coming out soon, although it hasn't been scheduled. So it was good getting in early and making a strong impression. I'm leaving feeling that this would be a wonderful opportunity for me and a place where Karen and I would be happy to settle down for a while. Obviously, the college atmosphere is great, and the accents aren't too indecipherable.
Now I head back to Atlanta for a lengthy sojourn back to California. I picked up a new GBA game, Rebelstar, to help pass the time. If you have some hefty flying time coming up, I recommend the game as a good hour-killer.
As excited as I am about getting back home, I have to say it's daunting to think of all the work ahead of us in the coming days. Of course, I'll keep you all posted.
Well, my two days of interviews for the student newspaper adviser position at the University of Georgia are done, and I'd say it went pretty well. The students were a tough bunch to win over, and they tossed out some great questions about how I would help them and the paper.
The big thing that struck me is the amazing building that houses The Red and Black. It's a huge, new site built just for the independent paper. Between that and their abundance of full-time positions, it's obvious the paper is doing pretty well financially.
It sounds like I won't hear back from them for two weeks or so. Another candidate is coming out soon, although it hasn't been scheduled. So it was good getting in early and making a strong impression. I'm leaving feeling that this would be a wonderful opportunity for me and a place where Karen and I would be happy to settle down for a while. Obviously, the college atmosphere is great, and the accents aren't too indecipherable.
Now I head back to Atlanta for a lengthy sojourn back to California. I picked up a new GBA game, Rebelstar, to help pass the time. If you have some hefty flying time coming up, I recommend the game as a good hour-killer.
As excited as I am about getting back home, I have to say it's daunting to think of all the work ahead of us in the coming days. Of course, I'll keep you all posted.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
A few fun things for you
OK, before I dive into blah blah updates on my exciting cross-country adventure, here are some great movies that folks have sent me lately.
This Sunday, I'm flying out to Athens, Ga., for a second round of job interviews (the first was just with the publisher while he was visiting Reno). It's an intensive interview schedule, but I think I can ace it. Wish me luck.
I've got a tentative buyer lined up for my car. She called an hour after I posted the ad on cars.com. She's been dying for an Impreza sedan and wants to come up this weekend to claim it. I have to say, as much as I'll miss my car, $13,500 is some good walking-around mon
- The "big ad" for an Australian beer.
- A preview for Stanley Kubrick's heart-warming new film.
- The trailer for Stubbs the Zombie. You know I can't get enough of zombies. Speaking of which, I can't remember the name of a game that's coming out where you fight through hordes of zombies in a shopping mall, a la Dawn of the Dead. I read a preview a while back but now can't remember it. I liked that the focus was on sheer quantity of zombie. Stacy, get to the Walgreens, stat.
- A great new ad for electronic birth control.
This Sunday, I'm flying out to Athens, Ga., for a second round of job interviews (the first was just with the publisher while he was visiting Reno). It's an intensive interview schedule, but I think I can ace it. Wish me luck.
I've got a tentative buyer lined up for my car. She called an hour after I posted the ad on cars.com. She's been dying for an Impreza sedan and wants to come up this weekend to claim it. I have to say, as much as I'll miss my car, $13,500 is some good walking-around mon
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Sigh
I remember the heady days of unemployment, those many days ago when I could relax, play some video games, spend hours teaching the dog to say "I love you."
Sadly, my life of leisure already has descended into a life of unending productivity so we can get the hell out of Dodge. I've spent each day packing, sorting, selling, donating, and mailing. Today, I even put my car up for sale. I've decided that, ideally, I'll get $13,500 or so for it and then be able to pick up a dog-friendly Impreza Wagon used in Alabama, where they're probably a bit less in demand.
It's funny that my life has never been so unpredictable and uncertain, yet we're both more excited than we've been about any move. I figure the best way to ensure I get a job quickly is to get really excited about spending time unemployed with my family. If the Athens, Ga., gig works out, my trip to Birmingham might just be a quick stopover. But I've been getting great feedback from potential employers lately, so I'm feeling pretty hireable. Karen, too, has amassed an impressive set of skills and references by being a manager at a nonprofit. I think we'll be fine.
On a related note, my moving scam of the week (in my favor) is media mail. The other day I made some joke about just shipping all our crap to Alabama, which would cost a small fortune. Then I remembered that a friend used USPS media mail to truck his entire library cross-country. Sure enough, I was able to mail off about 55 pounds of books for $20. I'll likely ship off another 150 pounds or so, which will be money well spent. I have a feeling space is going to be at a severe premium in the moving van. We're already shedding furniture like crazy, but it's still just SO MUCH CRAP.
Well, back to the grind... of, you know, sitting around in pajamas and catching up on Tivo while I pack kitchen sundries.
Sadly, my life of leisure already has descended into a life of unending productivity so we can get the hell out of Dodge. I've spent each day packing, sorting, selling, donating, and mailing. Today, I even put my car up for sale. I've decided that, ideally, I'll get $13,500 or so for it and then be able to pick up a dog-friendly Impreza Wagon used in Alabama, where they're probably a bit less in demand.
It's funny that my life has never been so unpredictable and uncertain, yet we're both more excited than we've been about any move. I figure the best way to ensure I get a job quickly is to get really excited about spending time unemployed with my family. If the Athens, Ga., gig works out, my trip to Birmingham might just be a quick stopover. But I've been getting great feedback from potential employers lately, so I'm feeling pretty hireable. Karen, too, has amassed an impressive set of skills and references by being a manager at a nonprofit. I think we'll be fine.
On a related note, my moving scam of the week (in my favor) is media mail. The other day I made some joke about just shipping all our crap to Alabama, which would cost a small fortune. Then I remembered that a friend used USPS media mail to truck his entire library cross-country. Sure enough, I was able to mail off about 55 pounds of books for $20. I'll likely ship off another 150 pounds or so, which will be money well spent. I have a feeling space is going to be at a severe premium in the moving van. We're already shedding furniture like crazy, but it's still just SO MUCH CRAP.
Well, back to the grind... of, you know, sitting around in pajamas and catching up on Tivo while I pack kitchen sundries.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
It was the right decision. Right?
Well, I called the Virginia paper Friday and told them to take me out of the running for news editor. They were asking me to fly back out for a second round of interviews (I was one of two finalists), but I just wasn't excited about the job.
It would be a late shift, coordinating wire content and tweaking headlines. That's the kind of job where you show up for your first day at work, turn around, and you've been there 20 years.
I felt a little bad because they've been so great about keeping me in the running, and it is a great paper, but I'd rather tell them now than after I fly back out, interview again and then get offered the position.
In related news, the interview with the Athens, Ga., student paper publisher went well. Sounds like I'll be flying out there soon, although I doubt I'll beat the clock and get the job before we move. Oh well.
Otherwise, we're just wrapping everything up and getting ready to move. It's going to be a crazy few weeks, but we're both really excited about picking up and starting over. And I'm pretty motivated about the job hunt now that I've already been a finalist for two. It's not off to a bad start.
OK, it's 8:41 a.m. and I'm unemployed, so I've got to go get drinking. Take care.
It would be a late shift, coordinating wire content and tweaking headlines. That's the kind of job where you show up for your first day at work, turn around, and you've been there 20 years.
I felt a little bad because they've been so great about keeping me in the running, and it is a great paper, but I'd rather tell them now than after I fly back out, interview again and then get offered the position.
In related news, the interview with the Athens, Ga., student paper publisher went well. Sounds like I'll be flying out there soon, although I doubt I'll beat the clock and get the job before we move. Oh well.
Otherwise, we're just wrapping everything up and getting ready to move. It's going to be a crazy few weeks, but we're both really excited about picking up and starting over. And I'm pretty motivated about the job hunt now that I've already been a finalist for two. It's not off to a bad start.
OK, it's 8:41 a.m. and I'm unemployed, so I've got to go get drinking. Take care.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
For I am mighty
In case you doubt my ability to identify headless women, I thought I'd point out that I was right in my guess that Jessica Biel was the actress being slowly revealed, body part by body part, over the past six months in Esquire magazine. This month's issue reveals she is the "sexiest woman alive," which obviously means Angelina Jolie died shortly after receiving the same title from Esquire last year.
I can't say that the new photo gallery persuades me to buy into the Biel bandwagon. When one of the selling points is her posture ("She could hold an apple between her shoulder blades"), you know they're reaching a bit.
To me, sexy is a pretty tough trick to pull off -- in a movie or otherwise. I can only think of one example where Karen and I agreed that an actress actually came off as hot as the filmmakers intended (pictured).
Funny note on that, too. When I was home sick once, I watched Resident Evil with the cast commentary. Near the beginning, in a scene where Milla Jovavhvashavich's character is in the shower, she says on the commentary, "Here's my obligatory nude scene. I have to have at least one in every movie I do." The director quickly chimed in, "That's not what your agent said."
I can't say that the new photo gallery persuades me to buy into the Biel bandwagon. When one of the selling points is her posture ("She could hold an apple between her shoulder blades"), you know they're reaching a bit.
To me, sexy is a pretty tough trick to pull off -- in a movie or otherwise. I can only think of one example where Karen and I agreed that an actress actually came off as hot as the filmmakers intended (pictured).
Funny note on that, too. When I was home sick once, I watched Resident Evil with the cast commentary. Near the beginning, in a scene where Milla Jovavhvashavich's character is in the shower, she says on the commentary, "Here's my obligatory nude scene. I have to have at least one in every movie I do." The director quickly chimed in, "That's not what your agent said."
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Nightmares
It's weird, the last few nights I've been having work-related nightmares. What's especially strange is that I never had them when I was actually working.
Last night, I dreamt I woke up at 1 p.m. on a work day and had to decide whether to scramble in or call in sick. The night before, I dreamt that I was at work and didn't have any local stories for the next day's paper. I realize these are minor as far as nightmares go, but I did wake up all stressed and sweaty. It's funny, though, to wake up from a dream about running late for work and say, "Oh thank god, I'm unemployed and it's only 7 a.m."
So why suddenly have these kinds of dreams now? It doesn't really take a psychiatrist. There's obviously some part of my brain that feels I'm being a slacker and not a productive member of society.
Yeah, well tough shit, brain. I've earned a chance to relax a little, and I'm getting a lot of stuff done. Who are you trying to convince? What do you mean? I'm not trying to convince anybody, I was pointing out ... I'm just saying, maybe it's not your subconscious that's frustrated. Maybe it's your conscious. 'Conscious' isn't really a noun. Hey, who's the brain here? Oh, just stuff it before I go slam you into an open cabinet door.
Last night, I dreamt I woke up at 1 p.m. on a work day and had to decide whether to scramble in or call in sick. The night before, I dreamt that I was at work and didn't have any local stories for the next day's paper. I realize these are minor as far as nightmares go, but I did wake up all stressed and sweaty. It's funny, though, to wake up from a dream about running late for work and say, "Oh thank god, I'm unemployed and it's only 7 a.m."
So why suddenly have these kinds of dreams now? It doesn't really take a psychiatrist. There's obviously some part of my brain that feels I'm being a slacker and not a productive member of society.
Yeah, well tough shit, brain. I've earned a chance to relax a little, and I'm getting a lot of stuff done. Who are you trying to convince? What do you mean? I'm not trying to convince anybody, I was pointing out ... I'm just saying, maybe it's not your subconscious that's frustrated. Maybe it's your conscious. 'Conscious' isn't really a noun. Hey, who's the brain here? Oh, just stuff it before I go slam you into an open cabinet door.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Diary of a Man of Leisure: Day 1
First day of unemployment got off to rocky start.
5:30 a.m. Dog pukes. I clean. No more real bones, no matter how happy they make him.
7:30 a.m. Dog whines to get out of crate. I walk him. Make coffee.
7:45 a.m. I watch the sugar episode of Good Eats. The bananas brulee look pretty good. But being a Griner, I generally shy away from melting sugar at a temperature that rivals the sun.
8:20 a.m. I wake up Karen. She has to be at work in 40 minutes.
8:45 a.m. Getting my life of leisure started right, I play a half hour of the Sims 2. Watching my one unemployed sim sit around while the others go out and make money is mildly depressing. I switch to hockey on the PlayStation. I lose three games, but the player I made in my own image is able to shrug off a broken nose and get back on the ice in two days. I feel empowered.
10:15 a.m. I exercise the dog with the laser light. For him, it's already almost qualifying as the best day ever. Except for the puking.
10:30 a.m. I shower. Take my time, use up all the hot water. This is how I stick it to the man. Wait, that sounds kind of gross. Never mind.
11:15 a.m. Time to get productive. I pay some bills, set up an oil change, find a body shop for my dented car, confirm my job interview Friday (woohoo!), and drop my cell phone plan from a goliath (and unused) 800 minutes to 400. Just saved myself $50 a month. Being jobless might be the most profitable thing I've done in a while.
12 p.m. Lunch with Karen, who seems impressed with what I accomplished this morning. We eat leftovers, which we're going to have in spades now that I'm cooking dinner every night.
1 p.m. Walked downtown to deposit our fat stacks from Saturday's garage sale. Realize too late it's Columbus Day. This seriously detracts from my feeling of uniqueness. Somewhere, thousands of bankers are being shiftless layabouts, too. Yeah, but who will be laughing tomorrow?
1:33 p.m. Finished writing blog entry about my day. Getting excited about the fact it's only halfway done. Feel I should promise not to write blog in this format every day. Oh well, it's not like people are paying to read this.
5:30 a.m. Dog pukes. I clean. No more real bones, no matter how happy they make him.
7:30 a.m. Dog whines to get out of crate. I walk him. Make coffee.
7:45 a.m. I watch the sugar episode of Good Eats. The bananas brulee look pretty good. But being a Griner, I generally shy away from melting sugar at a temperature that rivals the sun.
8:20 a.m. I wake up Karen. She has to be at work in 40 minutes.
8:45 a.m. Getting my life of leisure started right, I play a half hour of the Sims 2. Watching my one unemployed sim sit around while the others go out and make money is mildly depressing. I switch to hockey on the PlayStation. I lose three games, but the player I made in my own image is able to shrug off a broken nose and get back on the ice in two days. I feel empowered.
10:15 a.m. I exercise the dog with the laser light. For him, it's already almost qualifying as the best day ever. Except for the puking.
10:30 a.m. I shower. Take my time, use up all the hot water. This is how I stick it to the man. Wait, that sounds kind of gross. Never mind.
11:15 a.m. Time to get productive. I pay some bills, set up an oil change, find a body shop for my dented car, confirm my job interview Friday (woohoo!), and drop my cell phone plan from a goliath (and unused) 800 minutes to 400. Just saved myself $50 a month. Being jobless might be the most profitable thing I've done in a while.
12 p.m. Lunch with Karen, who seems impressed with what I accomplished this morning. We eat leftovers, which we're going to have in spades now that I'm cooking dinner every night.
1 p.m. Walked downtown to deposit our fat stacks from Saturday's garage sale. Realize too late it's Columbus Day. This seriously detracts from my feeling of uniqueness. Somewhere, thousands of bankers are being shiftless layabouts, too. Yeah, but who will be laughing tomorrow?
1:33 p.m. Finished writing blog entry about my day. Getting excited about the fact it's only halfway done. Feel I should promise not to write blog in this format every day. Oh well, it's not like people are paying to read this.
Friday, October 07, 2005
My last day
Wow, today is my last day at The Union. After two and a half years here, most better than not, I'm done today.
My feelings on this unpredictable transition have changed day to day, but in general I'm tremendously excited about heading back east, being closer to my family, and really focusing on finding my next job.
There's a lot I'll miss -- the weather, the skiing, the wine, the friends. But we've made good use of our time out here, and we're definitely leaving with a lot of skills we didn't have before. We both have management experience, we learned to ski, oh, and we have a dog.
Do you remember that "Wear sunscreen" speech that gets circulated around graduation every year? There's a line that I never appreciated until I moved out here:
And now, for probably the first time in my adult life, I'm feeling homesick. It's not that I miss Alabama, necessarily, but each visit to my family in recent years has reminded me how much I'm missing by being a full continent away from them.
Well, the good news is, wherever we move, it will be closer to our families. East is east. Now if we can just beat the snows...
My feelings on this unpredictable transition have changed day to day, but in general I'm tremendously excited about heading back east, being closer to my family, and really focusing on finding my next job.
There's a lot I'll miss -- the weather, the skiing, the wine, the friends. But we've made good use of our time out here, and we're definitely leaving with a lot of skills we didn't have before. We both have management experience, we learned to ski, oh, and we have a dog.
Do you remember that "Wear sunscreen" speech that gets circulated around graduation every year? There's a line that I never appreciated until I moved out here:
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.I think of that when I hear people saying that California is the only place they could ever live. Sure, it's great, but what you learn from moving around is that each place has its upsides and downsides. I've enjoyed living in Alabama, Virginia, Missouri, Arizona, Indiana and California. There's been something memorable about each one.
And now, for probably the first time in my adult life, I'm feeling homesick. It's not that I miss Alabama, necessarily, but each visit to my family in recent years has reminded me how much I'm missing by being a full continent away from them.
Well, the good news is, wherever we move, it will be closer to our families. East is east. Now if we can just beat the snows...
Thursday, October 06, 2005
The two plans
OK, so we've got two plans here:
Plan A: I get hired by Athens, Ga., we move to Athens by the end of October, and everyone's happy.
Plan B: I don't get hired by Athens (or Virginia for that matter), but we move at the end of the month to live with my sister in Birmingham, Ala. (Hope you weren't kidding about that offer, Stace!)
Why move?
1. Another month of rent, heat, water, electric, etc., would put a big hurt on us. That's money we could use toward the move.
2. If we wait more than another month, we risk being trapped in the high Sierra, Donner Party style. We barely squeeked through some major storms when we moved out here, and every week after October is a big risk.
3. I miss Alabamy once again, and I think it's a sin.
Plan A: I get hired by Athens, Ga., we move to Athens by the end of October, and everyone's happy.
Plan B: I don't get hired by Athens (or Virginia for that matter), but we move at the end of the month to live with my sister in Birmingham, Ala. (Hope you weren't kidding about that offer, Stace!)
Why move?
1. Another month of rent, heat, water, electric, etc., would put a big hurt on us. That's money we could use toward the move.
2. If we wait more than another month, we risk being trapped in the high Sierra, Donner Party style. We barely squeeked through some major storms when we moved out here, and every week after October is a big risk.
3. I miss Alabamy once again, and I think it's a sin.
Monday, October 03, 2005
End of the line
Friday will be my last day at the paper. I met this afternoon with my boss and the publisher, and we've reached a deal that makes all of us happy.
I leave in a relatively comfy position, and I leave early enough for them to transition quickly toward a new city editor.
I wrote a lengthy version of this blog entry, describing my real feelings and all the crazy backstory. But I realized that A) the Internet is a bad place to air these kinds of things and B) it's not as bad as I was making it sound.
What's important is that I have time and resources to really focus on finding my next job and making sure it's an opportunity Karen and I will both enjoy. Also, I leave on good terms with the publisher, who said he will never forget what I accomplished for a paper.
But if you know me, you know that this has been a difficult and often frustrating arrangement for months. Ending it is a good idea.
Now, with four days left, I wonder how I'll feel next Monday, the first time I will have been unemployed since January 2000.
Something tells me I'll feel pretty good.
I leave in a relatively comfy position, and I leave early enough for them to transition quickly toward a new city editor.
I wrote a lengthy version of this blog entry, describing my real feelings and all the crazy backstory. But I realized that A) the Internet is a bad place to air these kinds of things and B) it's not as bad as I was making it sound.
What's important is that I have time and resources to really focus on finding my next job and making sure it's an opportunity Karen and I will both enjoy. Also, I leave on good terms with the publisher, who said he will never forget what I accomplished for a paper.
But if you know me, you know that this has been a difficult and often frustrating arrangement for months. Ending it is a good idea.
Now, with four days left, I wonder how I'll feel next Monday, the first time I will have been unemployed since January 2000.
Something tells me I'll feel pretty good.
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