ExcitableBoy wrote:

lcarreau wrote:I noticed that you left out ARIZONA.

I did, I have been quite a few times and my wife has a house in Scottsdale, but neither of us want to live there.

Sorry, guess I should have left a smiley face there ...

I have been to Seattle several times, but prefer to live in AZ. Hey, to each his own. Best of Luck !!

DOD spending $721.3 billion Base budget + "Overseas Contingency Operations"
FBI counter-terrorism $2.7 billion At least one-third FBI budget.
International Affairs $10.1–$54.2 billion At minimum, foreign arms sales. At most, entire State budget
Energy Department, defense-related $20.9 billion
Veterans Affairs $66.2 billion
Homeland Security $54.7 billion
NASA, satellites $3.4–$8.5 billion Between 20% and 50% of NASA's total budget
Veterans pensions $58.4 billion
Other defense-related mandatory spending $7.5 billion
Interest on debt incurred in past wars $114.8–$454.2 billion Between 23% and 91% of total interest
Total Spending $1.060–$1.449 trillion

Teach for America $20 million

Dan, I would pay attention...hearing details the Repugs will try and cut it in the next two weeks. I am all up for cuts...but come on people...lets hear about some serious money here. Police the world. Fail to educate our own. The gap is closing.

Seattle for the best all around variety.

Las Vegas if you want to rock the sandstone all year long, and you don't mind heat.

Colorado for a decent mix of hiking, rock, and a little white water thrown in.


My personal choice: SEATTLE. But all three are cool in their own way.

Mr Leghorn wrote:

lcarreau wrote:ACTUALLY ... if your wife is anything like mine, WHEREVER she ends up is where you'll BE.

Like a trip to Crazytown?

Where the hell's Crazytown? Is that next door to Lagos ???

Actually, I'm getting really tired of folks pissing and moaning over having to live in Arizona.

The Gods gave us two feet. We have the ability to relocate if we don't like where we're at now. End of story ..

Mr Leghorn wrote:
Crazytown wasn't a reference to Sedona. I don't think you can live near it or in it without laughing at it, though.

By golly, you have a valid point there, Mister Leghorn ..



Just a typical day in Sedona, AZ ..

Mr Leghorn wrote:
Those red crocks are weeeeiiiirrrrddd!

Yeah, but gotta admit ... those red rocks are beautiful.

I'm a Colorado College Grad and I'll say this about the Springs: God is only second to the military. It is very Republican, Tax crusaders, etc. I love the Springs, but Colorado's most populous county is not its least uptight.

The Boulder Area is doing everything Colorado Springs isn't doing to evolve. I am technomoronman but I'm guessing it will do quite well, and you're right outside of Denver with its really matured cultural scene. Heck, they just put a bam spanking new and huge music venue right down the road from Boulder.

Durango is amazing, and 3 hours from the Needles District among many other treasures. I have a buddy that lives outside of Bayfield and is a computer, IT pro of some kind. He loves it, been there almost 20 years I think.

I'm surprised the Chief did not vote for Charlotte! Stone Mtn. is 1 hr drive away, Looking Glass is 2 hrs...& probably similar for some of the other big NC crags. Personally, I know next to nothing about NC other than Stone is scary & eating there is cheap.

...for what it's worth...anything east of the rockies, I'd probably jump out the fucking window after a couple weeks (just doesn't compare imho)...sorry, lived in NJ most of my tender years & spent almost a decade in nyc going to skool

"Way up north there's a mountain top,
That's protected by the snow.

When I need some time alone,
It's a place I can go.
'Cause I share my dreams with the caribou,
And the whisper of the wind ..
And I long to be in Glacier Bay again ...

I wanna go home to Alaska,
Where the eagles fly across the golden sky.
I wanna go home to Alaska,
'Cause the Northern Lights are in my woman's eyes ..."

ExcitableBoy wrote:Nice to hear. I have relatives in Albuquerque and eastern NM and liked the area very much, although it haven't been since 1984..

It's grown since '84, but not as much as other parts of the country. Albuquerque is a nice size city - small enough that one can go anywhere in less than half an hour, and big enough to have plenty to do.

I just want to say that taking that leap to do something you really love is very awsome!

Thanks for all your input. Unfortunately, I ended up in the hosptial with pneumonia and pleurisy so I was unable to attend the final interview so I had to withdraw my application.

ExcitableBoy wrote:Thanks for all your input. Unfortunately, I ended up in the hosptial with pneumonia and pleurisy so I was unable to attend the final interview so I had to withdraw my application.

So, now you have to stay in Seattle? It's really NOT such a bad place to live. Best of luck.

What is the consensus on San Diego? I had been hoping to move to Colorado or Vegas or SLC or something of the sort once my lease ends in September, but my roommates right now are talking about relocating to San Diego afterwards, so if I go with them at least I’ll have some familiar faces around me, rather than being stuck in a strange town by myself. I’ve been to SD once, seems like a fun town with a lot of younger people; it’s just so far away though from the Sierras, the Rockies, Great Basin, Utah, etc.

San Diego is a great place to live if your standards are low in terms of mountains. After 1 year this is my impression: The climate is incredible and it is a young surfer type crowd. The city itself is fun and it seems like everyone is drunk all the time due to tourism and heavy military influence. It isn't a huge city though and escape is possible. I find the people are nice and most aren't locals. Poser transplant socal types everywhere but everyone is just happy to be here. Even the bums are nice when they aren't stabbing each other or smoking crack.

The beach towns are the best. Very fun and cool little "towns" less than 10 miles from downtown. This place is a drunk/pothead/zero ambition type person heaven. If you don't party much then you will get sick of it reeeeaaaaal quick! However, there is more to it than the party scene. Picture sunny beautiful coastal cliffs with whales migrating and birds everywhere... In January.

Jobs are scarce but there are many big companies here and it is possible to be a normal working type.

As for hiking...the local stuff is low, abundant, pretty and it hardly rains. It is either foggy, partly cloudy or perfect. Usually on the same day. The weather changes very fast but it just doesn't change much. Typical temp is high 60's near the coast and 70's inland. 50's in the winter maybe. It can get very hot for hiking sometimes in the summer...like 90's or 100. But it's a dry heat

2-3 hours drive to get to a peak over 10k. Good rock climbing close to the city and J tree is 3 hours away. 2 hours to Anza borrego- great desert stuff in the winter months. 5+ hours to Sierra with good traffic conditions...nightmare drive if you time it wrong. Tahoe/Bay area is a long drive. Vegas is 5 hours away. 7 to Zion. I avoid LA at all costs.

If you like a laidback beach type attitude and you don't mind driving through the desert for hours to get to the big mountains then this place is for you. If you are a hardcore winter sports person then stay away.

I am yearning to be in the shadow of great peaks and I am longing to hike/ski more so I will most likely move to CO next.