voyager Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 12 hours ago, StephanieL said: At one point, when we were eating N looked up and said "Have I told you how much I love living in California?" Thanks for moving here! 2 hours ago, joethefoodie said: They (we?) all say that. Until that first good quake, fire, landslide, flood, water rationing... California is not for everyone but most people don't get that. They come for a comfy life and find living costs unimaginable, commutes from hell, taxes that suck you dry. Unless one has the Steph's and N's gumption, its not an easy ride. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 52 minutes ago, voyager said: Unless one has the Steph's and N's gumption, its not an easy ride. I know; my ride lasted 18 years. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Behemoth Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 3 hours ago, joethefoodie said: They (we?) all say that. Until that first good quake, fire, landslide, flood, water rationing... I think that's what makes it compelling in a way -- these wild and extraordinary landscapes that sit on the edge of danger. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 8 minutes ago, Behemoth said: I think that's what makes it compelling in a way -- these wild and extraordinary landscapes that sit on the edge of danger. As well as on the edge of the tectonic plate! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
voyager Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 There are no perfect places. And most places in California I wouldn't live in. I only claim the coastal strip. Otherwise, why bother? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephanieL Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 11 hours ago, joethefoodie said: They (we?) all say that. Until that first good quake, fire, landslide, flood, water rationing... Well, we've had a few quakes and a lot of bad fires, and she still says that. I don't think NYC ever truly suited her, as much as she loved the food, the arts scene, etc. Winter was a drag for her (the cold and the darkness), and the pace of life was much faster and brusquer than where she had come from. Our part of California reminds her of home in so many ways. And remember, coming here wasn't entirely a free choice. We're here because of N's job. Tenure-track university positions are really hard to come by, and we could have ended up nearly anywhere (though she didn't apply to schools in areas that would have been hostile for us). For a while, I thought she was going to end up in rural Maine. It was luck that she got hired out here. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diancecht Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 i had my first quake the monday after i moved here lol it was an interesting experience Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diancecht Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 technically this isn’t the first time i’ve lived in california when my mom and i emigrated here, she got married to some mormon and we lived in this little town near mount shasta near the oregon border. one of these days i’ll tell all y’all about that…i buried those memories and have only started to remember some of them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
voyager Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 1 hour ago, StephanieL said: For a while, I thought she was going to end up in rural Maine. It was luck that she got hired out here. Since my grandparents came from rural Maine in the mid'50s, I can claim the same sigh of relief. As I wrote, there are no earthly panaceas . Choose your angels and demons. We choose among predictable climates and phenomenons, Withering summer humidity with breath taking heat, winter blizzards, tornadoes and hurricanes. Garbage removal strikes. Earthquakes are a constant possibility/probability here. So we throw the dice. I was born on the beach and have lived here for my entire life. I need the blue of the ocean and green of the hills, the fog so I don't need shades, the many colors of our residents, the embracing political clime. People like Steph and N enriching our socio-economic-political pool. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
prasantrin Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 If my mom married a mormon, I'd repress those memories too 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
prasantrin Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I've never had to experience Mormonism up close and personal. And individuals I've known are nice enough. But things I've learned, including what I learned recently while touring a Mormon Temple (just prior to its being blessed or whatever) have made me feel very uneasy about it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
voyager Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Chicken thigh stroganoff, an easy pantry pull-off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diancecht Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 pasta puttanesca; boiled cauliflower with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 11 hours ago, StephanieL said: I don't think NYC ever truly suited her, as much as she loved the food, the arts scene, etc. Winter was a drag for her (the cold and the darkness), and the pace of life was much faster and brusquer than where she had come from. Our part of California reminds her of home in so many ways. And remember, coming here wasn't entirely a free choice. We're here because of N's job. Tenure-track university positions are really hard to come by, and we could have ended up nearly anywhere (though she didn't apply to schools in areas that would have been hostile for us). For a while, I thought she was going to end up in rural Maine. It was luck that she got hired out here. All good reasons. I moved there for school, fun and sun and nude beaches (More Mesa! Santa Barbara!), Silicon Valley in the 80s, learning how to eat avocados and artichokes, etc. 10 hours ago, voyager said: I need the blue of the ocean and green of the hills, the fog so I don't need shades, the many colors of our residents, the embracing political clime. I've got all of these, possibly even to a greater extent than you (well, except the fog and I need a/c). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joethefoodie Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Chicken soup with balls of matzo. Greens on the side. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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