Week in Review

I have to say, it's been quite a lovely week, as I've had the last five days off of work due to President's Week. Yep, in California, we get a whole week off instead of just one day. It's been nice, doing nothing this past week. I've spent a lot of time playing video games, watching TV, napping. I really needed this break after the long months of stress not knowing where we would end up next fall. I finally kicked the runny/stuffy nose I had, as well as some kind of stomach flu/food poisoning I had last week. All in all, I will say this was a much needed break.

Last night, Rob and I celebrated the job offer with a night at Avalon, a beautiful restaurant in Old Town. Expensive, but we deserved to celebrate our victory. The food was superb, the wine selection immense, and the service impeccable. It was one of the few times we've received good food/service in Eureka.

I bought our plane tickets home for our two week break in June. We are so happy to be getting out of here to visit with friends in Cincinnati as well as home. If anyone has a spare bed and can put Rob and I up for three nights, please contact me!

Two days ago, I posted on the things I greatly dislike about this part of the world. Within 24 hours, I received this comment on my post from an anonymous reader...

"you are careless in making comments here which some might find hurtful. by the way, houses here cost at least 3X as much as where you are going. why do you suppose that is? The competition is high to live here. You don't know what you are writing about with such seeming authority. Your head is up your...."

I found it both funny and insulting. Number one, I never meant to offend anyone by writing so matter-of-factly of the reasons I can't stand it here. They are my opinions and mine alone- I own them with great courage. Number two, the things I mentioned, however, were not opinions, they were actual facts about this area. I ask anyone to prove me wrong when I talk about how the weather sucks, how TV reception goes in and out (our ABC affiliate is STILL out, since Wednesday), how much marijuana gets grown and smoked here (especially in that ever-so-safe location, THE CAR WHILE DRIVING) and how we lost our internet service a month ago due to a fire.

I very rarely speak about my political views on this blog. I prefer to use this forum as a way to speak of my inner-most feelings. This blog has taken the place of countless journals over the years, and allows me to speak to my readers on the things in my life I am most passionate about. However, ask any one of my closest friends and they will tell you that, when questioned and insulted on my own beliefs, you will get a fight. I am not afraid to speak my mind when it comes to politics, religion, or the state of the world in any facet. In response to anonymous, I say this- there is no fight or competition to live here. The reason housing is so expensive here is because the market is so over-inflated. Anyone who would come to visit this place would instantly see the poverty, the vagrancy, and the homeless who, due to poor working wages (most people work for minimum wage here, hardly a living wage) and the fact that a mobile home in a trailer park in Fortuna costs 100K, cannot afford to buy a house, let alone rent an apartment. Most two bedroom apartments here cost over $900 a month. Hate to break it to you anonymous, but, if you do the math, minimum wage doesn't cover that expense, let alone the inflated price for groceries or gas, which tops out here at about $3 a gallon. I'm no idiot, I realize houses here cost 3x as much as they do in Illinois. Wouldn't you think I'd rather get more bang for my buck? A two bedroom shack in Eureka goes for about 200K. Rob and I are looking at houses back home, and we could get a beautiful 4 bedroom stucco house with dining room, two sun porches and hardwood floors for about 98K. And it won't rain all the damned time. Which location do you think I'm going to choose? The economy in this area is dying. Logging companies are going under left and right, shops are closing because the people of this area can't support them.... I just guess people with their heads up their asses are a little more aware of what is going on in the world than people whose heads aren't. I'll prefer to keep my head up my ass any ol' day if it means I can still see and think clearly about the state of the world.