Not moving to So Cal (just yet)

So the big decision of December 2005 is that we're not ready (just yet) to move back to So Cal. Of course, everyone thinks we're crazy. Maybe "crazy" is the wrong word. Mad! is a better adjective (in the British sense of course).

So for historical record, let me lay out the details of the legendary mistake we are about to make so that everyone has ample opportunity to help us make the correct decision before it’s too late.

1. There has been an extraordinarily generous offer made to us involving a gorgeous house at an unbelievable price.

2. There are multiple, potentially (very) lucrative, career upgrade opportunities that have been laid out in front of us… but require us to move to So Cal.

3. All of our family units have made it abundantly clear how much they would like us to be within driving distance to them.

4. We happen to agree with said family units that it would be quite cool to live within driving distance to them.

5. Melissa and I have decided that the next great adventure in our lives requires a miniaturized version of us (hopefully with Melissa’s dominant genes). This of course brings up the conventional wisdom that it is gobs easier to manage a child (i.e. dump the kid off at grandma’s house) while living in close proximity to the fam than it is to try and do it solo in some God forsaken cowtown like Austin, TX.

6. Oh, and don’t let me forget that California is chock full of fun things to do like Snowboarding, surfing, various motor sports that require dirt roads and knobby tires, Star Gazing (the Brad Pitt kind… there’s obviously too much smog in the air to see the swirling mass of hot gas variety), Disneyland and earthquakes.

7. And friends! We really really like our friends (Big ups to all our So Cal friends who are reading this).

A rational person would look at this list and say “golly Alan and Melissa” what the heck are you thinking staying in George Dubya Bushland USA? Do you really want to be known as a Red Stater? Even worse… A REPUBLICAN? (foreboding music fires up in the background).

But alas, we never claimed to be rational. I mean we’re evangelical Christians for Buddha’s sake! How could anyone ever confuse us for rational human beings. Now sarcasm? That’s another situation altogether. Sarcasm is OK. I’m fairly certain there are plenty of references to the holiness of sarcasm in the bible… at least the translation that I read…

Y’know… it really comes down to one thing.

There happens to be a place where you can get really good margaritas down on South Congress Street.

Sorry family, friends, career and house.

Drunkenness wins.