07-02-2014, 09:03 PM
Grew up in California, went to college in California, progenitors were in California in the horse-drawn transportation days. So, naturally, I now live in Alabama. The AC came on in early June (bit late) and will be on until October. Both my daughters were born in CA. My family moved back and forth between Alabama and Calif. twice.Â
By not living in California, I have been able live in a decent house, in a mountain forest, raise and educate two great daughters who graduated college (one from Stanford) debt free. All this as a basically one-income family. (Long story) And, no, unfortunately my income isn't THAT magnitude of single income. I can state categorically that would not have been possible in Calif. We watched as my best friend's modest house in San Jose raised in value into the $$million range while his property taxes started looking like my whole house payment. I also watched while he and his wife ran harder and harder on the treadmill to keep up with the costs. I drive down this mountain and to work in a modern research park in 10 minutes. Things like that have value. I'd have to drive 2 hours to Nashville or (heaven forfend) 4 hours to Atlanta just to get reacquainted with everyday urban traffic nightmares people have in the Bay Area or LA.Â
And I miss California almost every day. I love the California landscape, even if it's brown hills and oak trees. I miss the ocean. I miss being able to watch Stanford football in person. If I won the lottery big time, the first serious thing I'd do is get some pied a terre somewhere in the Bay Area. I read that guy's malediction and at every blow he struck I could call up a matching stupidity and cupidity in our state house. He rails against unions as if they are the only ones with a leash on legislators' testicles. He should visit the halls of gummint in Montgomery or Austin some time. He talks waste, fraud and abuse as if it were some unique California disease. How about a legislature, like ours, with members that openly question the whole idea of public education. There are worse things than bigness.
But I came to the end of his piece with the same thought as others on the board: Don't let the door hit you in the a** on the way out, mofo. And please, don't come to Alabama. Go to Texas. Better yet, go live in Houston, Texas. I hear it's a freaking paradise.
By not living in California, I have been able live in a decent house, in a mountain forest, raise and educate two great daughters who graduated college (one from Stanford) debt free. All this as a basically one-income family. (Long story) And, no, unfortunately my income isn't THAT magnitude of single income. I can state categorically that would not have been possible in Calif. We watched as my best friend's modest house in San Jose raised in value into the $$million range while his property taxes started looking like my whole house payment. I also watched while he and his wife ran harder and harder on the treadmill to keep up with the costs. I drive down this mountain and to work in a modern research park in 10 minutes. Things like that have value. I'd have to drive 2 hours to Nashville or (heaven forfend) 4 hours to Atlanta just to get reacquainted with everyday urban traffic nightmares people have in the Bay Area or LA.Â
And I miss California almost every day. I love the California landscape, even if it's brown hills and oak trees. I miss the ocean. I miss being able to watch Stanford football in person. If I won the lottery big time, the first serious thing I'd do is get some pied a terre somewhere in the Bay Area. I read that guy's malediction and at every blow he struck I could call up a matching stupidity and cupidity in our state house. He rails against unions as if they are the only ones with a leash on legislators' testicles. He should visit the halls of gummint in Montgomery or Austin some time. He talks waste, fraud and abuse as if it were some unique California disease. How about a legislature, like ours, with members that openly question the whole idea of public education. There are worse things than bigness.
But I came to the end of his piece with the same thought as others on the board: Don't let the door hit you in the a** on the way out, mofo. And please, don't come to Alabama. Go to Texas. Better yet, go live in Houston, Texas. I hear it's a freaking paradise.