so long and thanks for the all the fish: southern edition

not that it really matters to any of you, but i figured i would just throw this out there. when the wife, sandy, and i moved out of chicago to atlanta 9 years ago, i dont think either one of us had any desire to be gone for so long. then again, neither one of us had no idea that after only a month of being in atlanta sandy would get pregnant. monkey wrench #1. so at that point, you of course have to keep a job, or thats what any normal person would do. so we stayed in atlanta, probably longer than we wanted, but hindsight is always 20/20. at one point we were planning on moving back, but here comes monkey wrench #2. she got pregnant with our daughter lily. so, here’s two mouths we have to feed and the thought of moving back with no job prospects was just too much.

being an army contractor is both a profitable yet stressful job to have. not that the jobs are very stressful, but the thought of contract renewals, and the possibility of losing a job is where the stress lies. so, with the possibility of losing my job in atlanta, i took a position in new orleans. it was actually a step down, but hey it was at least a job and i had always wanted to live in new orleans.

new orleans was just what we needed, and i will forever be indebted to the people we met and the city of new orleans itself. honestly, its a glorious city, but also a complete shithole. i say that with the utmost of respect to its inhabitants and the city itself. the city is completely wonderful, and again the people we/i met in my time there are just some of the greatest people i have ever met. sadly, me thinks its a town full of people that love to say they live in new orleans, but dont do anything to make it any better. thats ok, though, not everyone has it in them to be a “changer” rather than just a “dweller.” there are a lot of folks i met, to be fair, are trying to change the face of new orleans and to them i tip my hat with the utmost respect. again, i love the city, and would always recommend people moving there even if for a year or two. it is definitely even with all its warts is my favorite city i have ever lived.

then comes baton rouge, a city i was really not wanting to move to, but the wife was getting a pretty big promotion, and who am i to stand in her way? well, it hasnt turned out well. our relationship has been pretty rocky ever since the move. she hates her job, she’s cranky quite a bit of the time, which then of course makes me cranky and causes my anxiety level to be off the charts. for those that dont know, i suffer from anxiety attacks and our move here has only magnified them. in new orleans, i at least had friends i could talk and hang with on a daily basis. here in baton rouge, i got nothing, which is very tough esp when you have anxiety issues as i do. with the wife working on average 12-14 hours a day, its very stressful on me to have to maintain a job, keep the house clean, the kids fed, etc…. it hasnt been fun.

as you may have read previously, we were thinking of moving to eugene, or and the deal sounded great, but after much deliberation tween the two of us it just wasnt the best move. so, with all that said, we shall be moving back to our home, chicago, within the next month or so. again, eugene sounded great, but we’re tired of the isolation from family, friends, and any semblance of a support system. raising kids, although we have done a great job, i think, all by ourselves has been rough. i have never appreciated the concept of family until they visit, and its something we have grown to need but not from 965 miles away. there are much worse places to end up, as i love chicago, and i hope to meet a lot of you, in person, in chicagoland.

in closing, thanks and love to everyone i have met here in the south. y’all have truly been some of the greatest folks no matter of area code i have ever met. for that i will be forever grateful….

chicago, here we come…