Re Locating - 2-on-1 1/12/2019

 

I somehow knew Ramana would be in squeeze mode about my recent move  - that is he wants to squeeze out of me every bit of info, and he did not disappoint. I am the inspiration for this week's topic. If I had elected to go sailing with my old friend Gary Hall last Monday the topic  likely would have been you can't water ski  behind a sailboat. Of course Gary could have said he was trolling for sharks as there is a substantial great white breeding ground just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge. At any rate, having experienced several re locations himself, be sure to check Ramana's Musings for his take on the subject.

Back in May 1994 Lynn and I hit major speed bumps on the path we were following. We had both been laid off from good jobs and as luck would have it what new jobs that were becoming available were going to recently laid off Silicon Valley PHDs.  I couldn't say I resented the employers - hound one within a week, how often do you get to hire a PHD? So off we went to Texas, hoping to find a couple of jobs. Success! I had one upon arrival and Lynn found one within a week of her and Sean's arrival. 

This was our fourth re location, not counting moves to new apartments, houses and the like. Sean and Lynn had stayed behind to complete the sale of our house - Jamie stayed with her grandparents to finish high school. Side bar - when a friend says movers will pack anything not glued down  they are telling you the truth. Unfinished breakfast plates were packed - good old Mayflower.

Re location number one was 1976 when Lynn established and managed the New England office for our company in Hartford, Connecticut. Number two was Connecticut to Hermosa Beach to work in the home office. Number three was moving back to the SF Bay Area when I worked for RadioShack. We were seasoned veterans at re locating.

Skip ahead 25 years, RadioShack - the neighborhood electronics store filed for bankruptcy, Lynn had passed away and someone had the bright idea to move to North Carolina. Jamie and Sean were flush with cash since they'd each inherited a substantial sum of money when Lynn's mother passed away shortly after Lynn's passing. Jamie stayed in Ft Worth, Sean packed up and headed for North Carolina. I tagged along.

Relocating is relatively complex - especially if you have school-age  children. I was once one of those school-age children - when we moved to California from Colorado. Because our new home was not finished in Hayward we stayed for a while with my grandparents in Los Altos, giving us a 45 minute to one hour commute to and from school.

Then there is the "find a suitable place to live" - and often times you have no idea where a suitable neighborhood is. In the move to Connecticut I selected a new condominium complex -a safe choice. Lynn was terrified about me being forced to select colors and patterns.We survived my choices. I was actually quite proud of them, Lynn was simply relieved. Movers packed and headed east.

A year later we moved back to Southern California - and again a moving company packed us and headed west.

We lived in Hermosa Beach for just under a year before things took a bad turn and we both ended up unemployed. Lynn and Jamie moved back to Northern California and I took a job with RadioShack with the provision that when I had established myself I could transfer to Northern California. Lynn and Jamie lived with my parents.

We bounced around for  few years in the Bay Area, again both gainfully employed in jobs we enjoyed. While technically we re-located several times I do not count them since they were all local. They were your typical gather the family and friends, rent a truck, order lots of pizza and beer moves.

In 1994the economy headed south, and we were again in jeopardy. We sold our house, lost nearly all of our equity and Lynn and Sean stayed and closed the house sale while I headed off to Texas, to be joined a month later by Lynn and Sean. Jamie finished her senior year in high school while living with my folks.

Texas was certainly culture shock but a friendly, decent place. Fort Worth is a great place. As most readers know, however, Lynn was diagnosed with Huntingtons Disease shortly after we moved there. She survived until 2014. In 2015 I followed Sean and moved to North Carolina.

Relocating is never easy, always an adventure. It is up to you to decide whether the adventure is a good one or a bad one. I recently completed my last relocation. It was the adventure of a lifetime and involved a cross-country train excursion, a 5-day layover in Cleveland - a remarkably friendly, pleasant place, a visit to the rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Zombies concert, a 52 year High-School reunion which we called a 70th birthday celebration, and ended with my move to Brentwood, CA. I am at last where I was meant to be. My Brother and his family took me in. I do indeed have California bloodlines in my heart.

My 86 year old father is here as well and Mike and Margie will have a new grand child - due betwen Mikes's (9/22) and my birthday (9/26). The dogs like me and I have met 5 new grand nieces. Life is good. The adventure is described in blogs and in my friend and traveling companion Jim Furr's numerous photographs.In the list on the right side of this blog under August if you are interested simply open August and read the following titles:

• The End of the Line
• The Beginning of the End
• Long Live Rock and Roll
• A Gimp in a Strange Land aka What's Life Without a...
• Cleveland and the road so far
• Final Trip Prep

See ya next week, same bat time, same bat channel.