Fogbow

Yup, it's me. The official Thread Killer.

Great job bringing the board back, Foggy.

Hello,

Nice to meet you again.

Sad-Cafe

You colored your hair!!!!! Great new look!

Tiredretiredlawyer wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:19 pm You colored your hair!!!!! Great new look!

LOL... That is a character from an MMO I play named Nayru Virian. she is an assassin in the game that you help and do a few quests with. She is a fun character. Sassy, sarcastic, and quite witty. She is voiced by Kath Soucie, who does a lot of voice work in various games.

So, I'm starting to get itchy feet and feeling like moving. As great as the house is, and how great Dawn is as a roommate, I'm wanting something different. I need "me" space, which I don't really have here since we both work from home. I never get any quiet. So, anyway...

I have a portable job. It's WFH for a national company, so if I move, the job moves with me. I don't have to worry about finding a job wherever I end up. I've been thinking of a few places.

Minneapolis: Closer to my dad (~6hours).
Chicago: Love the city itself. So much to do and see.
Bismarck: Where dad is.
Seattle: Where the Significant Other resides.
Portland: Closer to SO.
Eugene: Closer to SO.

I would love to end up in the PNW. I've been there on business trips and also one of my best friends had his first wedding there (lasted all of 13 months...long story). It is beautiful, of course.

Right now, I could pay up to about $1500 a month in rent comfortably. I don't know if I want a house, and with the way prices are right now, don't think I could afford one anyway.

Any thoughts? Comments? Other areas to look at?

PNW is expensive. Rents in my area (a nicer part of south King County, as in 'bedroom community for Microsoft people who like a slightly more rural area' are around $2000/month for a basic house. Eastern Washington is less expensive, but then you have to deal with getting over the mountain passes in winter.

Portland is nice, also expensive. The more rural areas around Portland are less expensive. I don't know much about Eugene except that the Eugene Livestock Auction is down there, so it's quite rural.

I'm in Eugene. I'm quite biased because I love living here.

You could rent a house in your price range here. Eugene is the 3rd largest city in OR. We have almost everything that a big city has without being a big city. What we don't have can be found in Portland, about a 2 hour drive away. A 45-60 minute drive gets you to the coast.

The population of the Eugene/Springfield area is approx 225,000.

We aren't a rural area, but we aren't far from rural places. I love that. The Livestock Auction is in Eugene because we're the big city in all of southern OR. We're a good central location for people to bring their livestock from the ranch lands in southern and eastern OR.

While Eugene is officially labelled as southern OR, we're actually central OR.

We're considered the 2nd Berkeley. It's a wonderful area. We're progress, friendly, and typically really decent people.

It can be hard to make friends here. It's a weird PNW thing. People are super friendly and are usually genuinely happy to meet you. It just takes time and effort to build a social network.

I will never leave the PNW unless absolutely necessary. I love it here. Even the rain.

The rain and short days in late fall to early spring can get to some. The rainy season is 8 months long, Oct-May. There are times between Thanksgiving to late Feb when it rains almost every day for approx 2 weeks at a time. The sun comes out fully for a day or two and then the rain returns. I feel like a groundhog when May starts. We all stumble out of our homes squinting in the sunlight, and slightly disoriented.

But the summers are stunning. It doesn't rain much in the summer. We really appreciate summer here.

If you think the rainy season might get to you, the PNW isn't for you. But the reason it's so stunningly beautiful here is because of the rainy season. Western OR and WA is the only rainforest in the US.

If you come to the Willamette Valley, bring Zyrtec. We're the grass seed capital of the world. We grow 90% of the world's grass seed.

ZinWhit lives in Roseburg, so he knows a good amount about Eugene.

My sister has a motel in Grants Pass, southern Oregon. Near Ashland , not too far from Eugene. I love it there. We’re also looking on the coast, specifically Brookings.

One thing I noticed on our trip… much of the new construction in Oregon is tiny home communities.

Originally from Coos Bay, then Corvallis (OSU), later Bend then Prineville. All in Oregon. While I have that basic meh about Eugene because of the UofO/OSU feeling, I think, that Eugene is a lovely area to relocate. The Willamette Valley is beautiful, although the valley close to Portland is a little right wing... Love Newberg except for that. The only bitch I have is saying Eugene is Central Oregon. Maybe Central Willamette Valley but Central Oregon is Bend and the surrounding area.
Although right now Rosburg (south of Eugene, maybe 50 miles) is COVID central and a chunk of their patients are ending up in Eugene. Cuz Eugene is vaccinated and Roseburg is not.

The Ridge and Valley section of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia has a lot to recommend it. Virginia is a blue state overall (even if this area skews red), and the cost of living in this part of VA is comparatively low. Also, too, I’d really like it if more like-minded people moved to the area.

I live in a Portland suburb. No way you could rent a house here for that budget. You could rent a nice 1 bedroom apartment for that amount though.

NW Ohio. Quaint like Mayberry but weird like The Twilight Zone. House rentals between $600-800. Local pharmacy with free delivery, same with local grocery store. Pop.4000. 50/50 Rep/ Dem but ReThugs are loud and obnoxious.

But you would probably shrivel up socially. Good thing is the Amtrak station is 8 miles away for a nice 2-hour run to Chicago to refill your soul.

You can buy a fairly decent small house for under $65k if so inclined.

It's a good place to nest if you dont mind nesting.

Best wishes in your fledging!

LM K wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:46 pm Western OR and WA is the only rainforest in the US.

We've got them everywhere.

Lani wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:49 am

LM K wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:46 pm Western OR and WA is the only rainforest in the US.

We've got them everywhere.

Alaska, too. I lived on Kodiak Island, part of the Alaska Rain Forest.

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/educ ... forest.pdf

Lani wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:49 am

LM K wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:46 pm Western OR and WA is the only temperate rainforest in the US.

We've got them everywhere.

Maybenaut wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:03 am

Alaska, too. I lived on Kodiak Island, part of the Alaska Rain Forest.

I think WA state has the only temperate rainforest in the contiguous United States, but both Alaska and Hawaii have rainforests.

Maybenaut wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:03 am

Lani wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:49 am

LM K wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:46 pm Western OR and WA is the only rainforest in the US.

We've got them everywhere.

Alaska, too. I lived on Kodiak Island, part of the Alaska Rain Forest.

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/educ ... forest.pdf

My apologies!

LM K wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 11:56 am

Maybenaut wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:03 am

Lani wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 6:49 am

We've got them everywhere.

Alaska, too. I lived on Kodiak Island, part of the Alaska Rain Forest.

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/educ ... forest.pdf

My apologies!

Oopsy

Gross stuff ahead, so hidden under Spoiler tag. I was in the ER this afternoon, getting a certain issue taken care of.
By the way, why do people abuse Fentanyl? It doesn't last very long at all and the pain relief is minimal.

I think WA state has the only temperate rainforest in the contiguous United States, but both Alaska and Hawaii have rainforests.

So does Puerto Rico.

jez wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:08 pm Gross stuff ahead, so hidden under Spoiler tag. I was in the ER this afternoon, getting a certain issue taken care of.

► Show Spoiler

I just got to spend the afternoon in the ER. Had another abscess form on my left gluteal area. 4.3 cm. At least this one was shallow and they were able to do a cut and let it drain.

So, now everything is a bloody mess. Literally. Gah, I need a new butt.

By the way, why do people abuse Fentanyl? It doesn't last very long at all and the pain relief is minimal.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Jez - I sympathize. I had many an abscess, especially on my back and face, when I taught school my first year. Lots of microbes and germs on kids and whatever they touch.They are painful before and after they are drained. I learned to stop touching my face and to wash my hands frequently.

Been awhile since I said anything in this thread. So, y'all are about to get a *cue trumpets* LIFE UPDATE!

Anyway, onto the boring stuff. The lovely company that I work for, decided late last year that they need to use all that real estate they have and make people come back into the office. They are calling it a "location strategy". Basically, if you do not live within commuting distance of major "hubs" or specified other places, you either get to move there or you get a severance. I am about 90 miles from the closest Technology hub, but it's not one for the subgroup I'm part of. Yeah, they are getting that granular.

I looked at jobs around here. Applied for a few, even some that say you must have a security clearance, figuring if they want me bad enough, I can be on temp public trust until the whole process is done. Which would not be an issue, my life is very boring. Not a top secret spy or anything, and the Soros bucks are not a problem either. The jobs around here would be a 20-30% pay cut. That is a huge no. So, looks like I'll be doing what is called a "self-relocation". Where to you ask? Well, let me tell ya:

Minneapolis! Well, 95% sure that is where I'll end up. My other choice that isn't further east is Chandler AZ. And that building kind of sucks. And it's really hot in the summer. So, looks like it will be the Twin Cities. I've already talked to the roommate. Dawn said if it comes to me moving, just keep her informed about dates. She is probably going to sell the house since it's too much for one person and just get an apartment closer to where she works.

In other news, since it looks like I'll be moving, of course I found a dermatologist I like that has decided to treat my HS with more than antibiotics. I've started Humira, so hopefully that will help things along. Maybe I can find a doc down at the Mayo clinic. It's only a touch over an hour away, so not too bad for what I have, which needs a specialist.

Still loving the car.

So, that is the update.

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Would your office be in downtown Minneapolis or in one of the suburbs?

Oh, my! Good luck!