DH is going through one of his occasional phases where he's looking at jobs in Tulsa. This always sends me into a sort of freakout loop because if you give me a problem, I want to find the solution right away, and Seattle vs. Tulsa is hard to quantify. Our combined income is probably $30K/year higher than it would be in Tulsa, given typical salaries and the fact there's a lot less academic/medical administration to do there, but we could get a good house there for $200K less than we'd have to pay here. And the cost of living is generally lower, so we wouldn't
need
to bring in as much per month. And since DH's skillset is more common here than there, there's the possibility that someone there might be willing to pay him the Tulsa dollar equivalent of our combined Seattle income...which would allow me to quit work and
write full time.
He'd be fully behind that. He's the one who suggested it as a possibility.
And I have to say, put me writing full time, and Tulsa looks pretty good. I like DH's family, and there's a lot to be said for letting AB grow up near her grandma, uncles, and cousin. Tulsa is small compared to the places I've lived my entire adult life, but it's big enough to have a reasonable set of amenities, and I've always liked visiting there.
OTOH, I'd miss Seattle's climate (not counting the last two weeks, ugh), the mountains, the water, our church, the friends I've finally made, living where being a liberal Democrat is normal, etc. But how do you put a dollar value on those things and decide whether or not it's worth it to set them aside for a lower cost of living?
I'm theorizing way ahead of my data here. I wouldn't need to make this decision unless DH had an offer on the table that came within $30K or so of our current combined salaries. But just having it out there has set my head spinning.
just a note - for those with curly body hair, waxing may not be the way to go (ingrown hairs ... ow).
I've actually had less issue with that than with shaving, not sure why.
Very first world problem: My hairdresser is no longer working at the place I go to. It's one of those places that makes you sign a contract saying you won't take clients with you if you leave, so they won't give me her information, and she can't contact me. I was just starting to really like my hair and we tweaked with the color until it was just the way I wanted it last time. Sad now.
sj, can you google her?
And I get non-compete contracts, but jeebus, if you are making the call, the former salon should STFU already. Just because she signed a thing doesn't mean you'll stay at that salon.
That is weak, sj. I don't go the salon for the salon - I go for my fabulous hairdresser! She moved recently but luckily got all her clients' addresses beforehand and sent out postcards with her new info. Thank God because the old salon won't give her info to clients that ask. I think that's really short-sighted. Like I'll ever go back to that salon after that, you know?
I can't google her because I never got her last name. I meant to get it because I knew she wouldn't be able to contact me if she quit.
even if you can't find her, don't go back to the salon. I hate that way of dealing with things.
You not having to work is a good plan-- but I am guessing witting will be more like 50 to 75% of you time - 'cause you will have most of the domestic duties. You'd need to establish office hours as quickly as possible.
A lot of intangibles matter a lot,but there are ways to compensate for a lot of them.
beth, I'm not, but I hate having to look for a new place too. Especially with my birthday coming next month. I don't want bad hair for my birthday.
t /shallow
I love the West so much. I really belong out here.
I know exactly what you mean. I felt the West calling me every time I visited and am so glad to finally live out here. I wish we could afford to live closer to the coast, though. Someday.
I hate when businesses use that "you're not allowed to take your clients" thing. That happened with my acupuncturist in CT, and I had to do a little investigation to finally find her. Needless to say, I never went back to the original office. Jerks.
Nora, I'm so sorry your stomach is hurting. Do you have a gastroenterologist? You may want to ask your regular doctor for a referral.
Do you have a gastroenterologist? You may want to ask your regular doctor for a referral.
Yep. he arranged for the tests I took today so we shall see what that turns up.
