jp1 wrote:samsonlonghair wrote:
Funny you should mention "hell on earth" Florida; that's where I grew up. Ironic, no? I'm from Miami. I don't take offense. You either love Florida or hate it.
That is funny. Although, were I living in Miami I might just have a mild distaste for FL.
If I'm honest I have only been as far south as Orlando. I have been all the way east/west/north/and in between though. It is certainly a matter of taste, I have friends and family who love it here and would never leave. I am kind of stuck since I'm sitting on a paid off acre and home...and can't afford to pick up a new payment at the moment.
South Florida is beautiful. It's practically paradise to me, but lots of people with more dollars than I have also want to live there. The economic realities of the real estate market make it very unlikely I will ever afford live in South Florida again. I've thought about the northern end of the FL; I think St. Augustine is a really fascinating city.
jp1 wrote:Here in the panhandle, more specifically the Tallahassee area..it is just not a fun place to live if you aren't a college kid. If I could secure employment in WV that wouldn't result in black lung I would be going back.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I usually consider a university an asset to a city, but I wouldn't want to live
quite that close to Florida A&M, or all the fine upstanding young men who attend that university. I have a funny anecdote about FAM-U I'll tell you some time. This is probably going to be a long post unto itself, so I'll save my anecdote for later.
jp1 wrote:It is strange you mention wanting to move (possibly to Carolinas) for economic reasons, I have close family that just moved from the Clemson/Greenville area to Richmond and they are doing better than ever. Greenville is a beautiful area as well though.
I take it you mean Greenville, SC not Greenville, NC. I'm thinking about living a bit closer to the coast. My woman is studying for a degree in tourism, and I have a degree in Graphic Design. I'm not even thirty yet, but I feel like I have gone as far as my career can go in this rural state. Like you mentioned, any secure employment with high pay will likely lead to black lung disease. If I want to drive my career forward, I need to look outside WV for employment.
Richmond, VA is a city I have considered for my future. I have visited Richmond once or twice already. The economy there seems to be thriving. It's on the Chesapeake watershed, but not the bay proper. By the way, is the James River a viable transportation option? This may seem silly, but I might enjoy taking a boat to work every morning.
Greenville, NC is also one of many cities I have considered. It's near~ish the coast. The Tar river is a tributary of the Pamlico river, which flows to the Pamlico sound. Greenville has a university which is good for me as I currently do graphic/web design work for a univeristy. Greenville, NC is also close~ish to many State/National Parks which is good for my woman who wants to work in tourism and likes to work outdoors.
jp1 wrote: 
- No sis-in-law for a few days now, it has been nice.
Good for you, dude. I hope it lasts.
jp1 wrote: 
- Water heater sediment screwed up my pipes, had to replace the water heater ($1200) and currently working on dumping more into fittings/fixtures/pipes/etc.. lovely.
Two days of work and I have 1 working bathroom, 1 bathroom which receives only hot water, and a kitchen sink with shitty water pressure. Not a rewarding experience.
Ouch. I hate plumbing problems. I feel more at home working on data / network problems; I can handle electrical problems within a reasonable degree of proficiency; when plumbing problems strike, I leave it to the professionals.
Moving in is a slooooow process. Making multiple trips in a 2-door Oldsmobile with a 1 year old in tow isn't exactly an ideal moving situation.
