Nothing against LA, I love Southern California and I've spent over 30 years of my life here. Both of my children were born and raised here and I've grown some pretty deep roots. I love living in LA and I love California. I didn't at first when I moved out here in 1976, but after 15 years or so, I finally got the hang of it. Professionally, I've done pretty well. The Delta launch vehicle I worked on at McDonnell-Douglas is still putting satellites into orbit, the F-117 and F-22 airplanes I worked on at Lockheed are still at the forefront of military technology, and the rides I worked on for Walt Disney Imagineering are still up and running at their theme parks in California, Florida, Paris and Tokyo. Now, I work for myself, here at home and I can do that anywhere.... I think.... I hope.... This is not a specific decision on my part, but the market for 55 year old aerospace engineers isn't really very hot out here right now. So, if nobody else wants to hire me, I have to hire myself.

Ok, that's my story, kinda sorta, but there is another story as well. My wife's story. She's a television journalist and a damn good one. She's worked in markets ranging from Tulsa and Denver to markets in Atlanta, Washington DC, Pittsburgh and LA. She's moved around a lot and the last time she moved, she moved here for me. She's dined at the White House, gone bar-hopping with Katie Couric and walked up on the stage nine times in Los Angeles to accept an emmy for local news coverage. Now, she wants to go home and she has that opportunity. A small town television station in the midwest about an hour from where she grew up and where most of her family still lives has offered her the job of running their local news operation as the news director. She grew up watching this station.

So, we're going. And, this is where I can kind of use some help from y'all. I have lived in two places in my entire life - the Denver-Boulder area and Southern California. (there was a brief time elsewhere, but that wasn't living). Now, I'm looking to move to the banks of the Mississippi in a time zone (Central) that I've never lived in and trying to figure out how I'm going to adjust to this. On top of that I have the three bedroom house, one kid (daughter comes with us, son stays here), two cars, 3 dogs including a pug with separation anxiety, one cat and four BBQ's in my back yard to move. How in the hell am I gonna do this? Suggestions? I'm thinking the best way to move the dogs and cat is by renting an RV one way and driving them back once we find a place to live. And speaking of places to live, that's an upside. We've checked out properties for sale back there and if we can get anywhere close to the equity we have in our house here in LA, we can damn near pay cash for an eight acre property back there complete with a fishing pond and a fricking barn with four stables and a tack room. Any suggestions on what I do with the barn? (be nice)

I know many of you have made moves and an suggestions on how one can best do that would be appreciated.


Aquilla

Well, sounds like big time congrats are in order- will probably be nice to move away from all that humanity!

Hey- don't know if you ride motorbikes or not- but man, though California is literally the most bike friendly place in the US, where you are headed is some GREAT riding too!

Get a DS-3 strung into the Barn and make it a Server Farm!

Woooooo!

Then give Mike and Jamie free hosting on a cluster of X-Serves!

Good luck Aquilla.

Moving is hard on annimals. I boarded my cats over night when I moved two years ago. I had to coax them to start eating again at the new place.

You could wire the barn for sound and have barn dances.

Actually, I'm more into fast cars and airplanes, but living on the Mississippi a boat wouldn't be out of the question. Maybe I could put it in the barn. And you are right about California being heaven for bikes. I have actually considered getting into that business by opening a shop to sell and service motor scooters. My son bought a TANK 150 cc scooter several months ago and man oh man, was that thing ever made for Southern California! It does 40-45 mph and gets up to 120 miles to the gallon. Gets him pretty much anywhere he wants to go and is a cinch to ride. I could sell thousands of those things here in Southern California. Don't think it would be so popular in the midwest though given the fact that they actually have weather back there.



Uh, no....... Nice try.




I don't know what I would want to do with a barn, but I sure as hell don't want it to dance! That's strange even by California standards.

The animals' reaction to all of this is a major concern of mine and of my wife's. There has probably been more time devoted to discussion about how to deal with this aspect of a major move than anything. That's why I came up with the idea of renting an RV to drive them all out there. That way they'll be with me at least and can do what they usually do when I'm around and sleep. My pug, Abigail is on my lap right now, snoring away as usual. If I were to get up and go the kitchen without telling her I'd be right back, she'd freak out. If I have to leave for several hours but I tell her "I'll be right back", she's fine with that. That's the way it is, for better or for worse, and as anyone who has read this forum for very long knows, I love my dogs and my cats and that's the way it is and is gonna stay. NO WAY I'm going to put them on an airplane and separate them from me and my family for however long. Just ain't a gonna happen, so I came up with the RV plan.


Aquilla

Hey Aquila,

Here's what I've found in my days of hopping around chasing IT (earlier known as DP) jobs:

If you don't want to move it, sell or give it away. There were a few times that I had to just leave stuff behind, no room to move it. Lost a couple of great stereo speakers that way. Oh well.

Once took a cat with me loose. Don't do that. Get a traveling cage thingy from Pet Smart or Wal*Mart or someplace. Earplugs too, but I guess an iPod would work. Vets have drugs for pets . . .

What to do with a barn? Think overhead crane. Think auto restoration. Think big displacement V-8 or flathead straight-6 in a rod. Think Tool Time!

Although I like the barn dance thing. Mississippi ought to have a ton of local musicians. You're heading toward the Delta, my man. Greenville has a great blues festival every year, think they still do that.

The Mississippi River is wide and deep down that-a-way. Way impressive. Gar and catfish big as a house, so I've heard.

DO NOT CALL ANYONE BUCKO! It's okay in Colorado. Wrong, wrong, wrong in Tennessee and I suppose MIss.

If you can't understand what someone's saying, uh, I don't know what to say about that. Plead insanity. Get out of there. Nod and smile and get out of there. It takes forever to pick it up, seemed to me.

Congrats to your wife & hang in there. Work is out there still & maybe you can figure out another career path. Writing is *finally* bringing in something better than chicken feed for me. Takes a while.

AM, I have never EVER called anyone BUCKO in my life. I don't think that's something I'm going to start doing now. I do like your barn idea although rather than restoring cars, I was thinking more along the lines of a still.


Aquilla

cages for the animals is smart. took cats out to az with me from Knoxville and it was a GOOD thing they were caged. the sedatives from the vet were their lifesaver. depends on the animal though, some love a good road trip.
Strange thing about cross country moves it that they often end up like they were scripted for a comedy movie; hopefully yours is more national lampoon and not the Coen Brothers.

Midwest or south on the Mississippi? Doesn't matter its all gorgeous--except Arkansas
I loved it back that way, best people ever for the most part. Best advice buy in the woods somewhere Aquilla. In WVA and TN i lived in backwood areas by choice -- so quiet and pretty. You may have trouble adjusting to others respect for property and public civility.

Oh yeah Backyard Burger.. Large Hawaiian Burger and chili fries, eat hearty, then repeat.

No advice, just want to say, best wishes Aquilla. I look forward to hearing how it goes in your new home. The barn sounds like a great place to set up a studio

Not massively constructive, but I do know a good way to get a cat used to a new house very quickly.

1. Get cat to new place as quickly and painlessly as possible (big distances here may not be ideal).

2. Lock cat in one room for an afternoon with a smear of butter or heavy cream on both front paws.

The cat quickly forgets the stress of moving and the unfamiliar surroundings and concentrates on licking of the yummy butter or cream. The positive associations of same to the new surroundings mean the cat gets used to the new place in the space of, oh, one afternoon.

I've done this myself a few times with cats I've owned, and recommended it to cat-owning friends, and it has worked like a dream every time.

Well, we're finally at THE DAY. A little later on my wife and I will be heading on out of here on the famous old Route 66 to start our next great adventure. I'm kind of looking forward to it, if nothing else it's a break from painting, packing and cleaning up our house to get it ready for sale. By Saturday, Lord willing and the river don't rise, we'll be in our new hometown and she can start to work on Monday while I move her into her temporary digs and get snow tires put on her car. Then, on Tuesday it's trains, planes and buses for me to get back here for more painting, scraping, packing and figuring out what to do with my three dogs when people come by to look at the house. Needless to say, I won't be posting much here for awhile. But, then again, you never know.....

Seeya all in a week or so!

Edited to add:


Opps! Change of plans One of the good things about living in California is the influence of the "Island lifestyle" which anyone who has spent much time in Hawaii (aka Paradise) understands. "Hang loose" We didn't get everything together to our satisfaction so we'll go tomorrow instead and turn our four day odyssey into a three day marathon. Still gonna have some fun along the way though.


Aquilla