Aug 04 2009
Plan B?
Home sweet home?
You will be amazed to hear that I’m thinking of moving. Again. But you might really be amazed to hear where.
It’s no secret that I hate living in Oakland, or that I’m deeply tired of spending nearly every penny I make to do so. I can’t afford to live in San Francisco, or anywhere desirable in the East Bay. I’m sick of the BART station of death and the weirdness of strangers.
So here’s my possible Plan B: move into my sister’s house (back view from the garden is pictured above). Our brother has already moved out to the property (more or less), so his house is vacant-ish, and my sis and her husband can move there, and I can move into their house. Musical houses!
Yes, it’s even teenier than my current house. It’s in the country. The separation between outside and inside is extremely blurred (and dusty or muddy, depending on the season). It’s a four hour drive from my job. I’m worried about the cats going outside and disappearing forever, which has happened to both my brother and sister.
But…
I’ll be close to my family and friends. I can spend more time with Jessica. Rent will be a third of what I’m paying now, and there will be no more insane water bills. There aren’t any locks on the door, even if I wanted to lock them. Sure, I’ll have to drive everywhere, but I do here, too. And who wouldn’t prefer driving by the ocean to the freeway?
I can consign The Boxes to my brother’s storage container. I can pile up meetings on a couple of days a month, stay in the familiar hotel near my old place in San Francisco. With 24 hours’ notice, I can be there if my boss/partner needs me.
I can even take the good bridge to get there.
Can I do it? Will it be like Green Acres? Will my boss say OK?
Stay tuned.
Thoughts, opinions, notions and moving cartons are welcome. if you’re too discreet to comment, email me at speakall at earthlink dot net. I’ll be glad you did.
8 Responses to “Plan B?”
Looks like a very pretty little house and surrounded by peace and quiet. I know you’re worried about the cats but I think your peace of mind and the hudge difference in rent will certainly compensate and besides, you will be close to family, what more can you ask. The mud washes off and you must think of yourself first, the cats will survive the move.
My wife and I have been considering a move out of state, but it’s really difficult to find a city *anywhere* that has a comparable cost-of-living. We’re in Raleigh, NC, paying $1,000/mo for a 3-bedroom apartment in a complex sporting a swimming pool, gym, indoor basketball court, racquetball court, and dog park. We’re 2 miles from the airport and exactly half way between Raleigh and Durham, putting either one of them an easy 15 minute drive away. I’m told we wouldn’t even be able to get a studio apartment at that price anywhere near the bay area. 🙁
What about Henry?
I say you should go for it. You hate Oaktown and who can blame you. Would you get tired of seeing Megan all the time? 😉 Or her you?
A third of the rent would be worth it and I can’t believe the Pacific Heights Inn actually has rooms for $79!!!
I think the answer here is to move back to Canada. I hear Guelph is a nice town.
I think being surrounded by your friends and family is extremely important. And seriously, you need to move. Oakland sucks.
Kelly – I wish!!
Kathleen – Henry will definitely come with me. He and the girls can battle it out in the woods. 🙂 Seriously, though, there should be enough room for them to avoid each other if they want to (and maybe use up some of that energy).
Meg and I talk nearly every day anyway, and she and our bro were able to co-exist on the same property for 10 years with no major problems – including three or four years of Mom living with Meg & her husband in a house half the size of mine. I think we can do it.
Keith – you might be able to find a studio in San Francisco for $1,000 – maybe – but probably more like $1,500 and in an iffy area. Despite the recession, housing prices are crazy here!
Sounds lovely except for the 4 hour commute which seems like a deal breaker to me… or can you work from home most days? You certainly always sound happier when you’ve been staying out there with your family so if you can find a way to make it work, I think you’d love it!
I’d come to the city a couple of days a month. I work from home 90% of the time anyway. So it might work….