Heh...sometimes excitement doesn't come across well in text. ;-)
And I'm still fighting a little with pride, as I mentioned. Feel like I shouldn't be moving on since I haven't made a big success of things here. But really, I have no connections here or anything. And though it's a pretty place, so is the area where I'll be living. AND I'll be able to have a garden and stuff if all goes well! That's a MAJOR plus, in my book. There are only so many things one can grow in pots on a balcony. I miss the little herb garden I had back home, and my marigolds! Little things like that make a huge difference, ya know? To me, anyhow.
If you ever reconsider, come to the Ozarks. I also have a passion for gardening both for veggies w/canning and landscaping.
Used to do all that but if you ever consider a more subsistive type living, this is a great place.
I suspect you are a sweetheart. Good luck to you!
In 2000 and 2001, I had five business trips to Anacortes. I lived in Houston at the time and was overjoyed to go somewhere that had real hills and real trees. The Anacortes area isn't too liberal from what I remember.
I know the feeling of seeing a career go through bad times. I had two engineering degrees and five and a half years of excellent performance with a medium-sized energy and chemical company when I was laid off in '94. I was unemployed for seven months before getting a job with a worthless consulting company. That place was miserable. In desperation, I quit to return to school where I earned my third engineering degree in a related engineering field. I couldn't find a job in that field and ended up in my original field.
I wish this story were building to a completely happy ending, but things still haven't returned from a benefits point of view. People who say that a layoff is good are mostly spouting nonsense. A layoff is a disaster for most people. However, I have a nice salary now and work with good people. My resume looks great even if I don't always feel successful. I may not be able to offer my situation as an encouraging anectdote, but I can assure you that many of us know how you feel. I lived in five states and moved seven times between January of '94 and July of '02. The situation can be rough, and I hope all the best for you getting through it. If we can help, please let us know.
Bill