Ginger, if it comes to it, you and Mr. Peabody should paddle out this way. We're on high ground.

By relocating ourselves, we shake loose the shackles of expectation.

Sorry, sarameg, others: I was trying to be specific about it being substance abuse issues you can't just 'move away' from, not that, in fact, physically moving to a different community can be life-enhancing.

Note that I moved away from New Jersey to Boston and stayed here, much much happier with the culture and opportunities.

You know, there's something to be said for staying and toughing it out, as it were, but at some point you have to take a step back, take a long, considering look, and ask yourself, "is it worth being this unhappy?"

Which is where Lewis and I found ourselves, in our particular case. We didn't move from Ohio to Jacksonville because we particularly wanted to. This was a case where we did it for the benefit of our kids and it was the right choice for that time. However, I think we've gotten the most out of our time here and at this point, the negatives far outweigh any future benefits.

Which is not a response to anything in particular, just me parsing stuff out in the wake of poor Lewis being ambushed by his parents yesterday.

Thanks, flea. If I have to take to a boat, I'll paddle your way. Last night, my sloped yard looked like a river and the terraced parts like waterfalls. By the light of day, I see that a depressing amount of my back yard is on my patio and there are deep gullies in my vegetable garden and a couple of newly planted collard plants are on their way to the sea. Today's weather looks to be more of the same.

Alyson, my personal opinion is that the anger that men feel toward fat or otherwise unattractive-to-them women is a general misogyny thing, not just an anti-fat thing.

Some men feel that we, as women, *owe* it to them to look (and act, to some extent) like someone they want to fuck. If we dare to be unfuckable (to them) and seem OK WITH IT, then that ignites the rage. How dare we? How dare we live our lives not according to WHAT THEY WANT and what they desire?

The misogyny, it burns.

I think you are probably right there, Nora.

Awesome tat, Allyson!

I moved away from my family 35 years ago or so. It could be we are closer because I was gone as soon as I was an adult.

very nice Allyson

So I got in at 8 for and 8:30, only to check email and learn it's been moved to 9. I shouldn't resent that, right?

Is it a New Jersey thing? [link]

...one out of every three New Jersey conservatives think that Obama could be the anti-Christ. To be precise, 18% of self-identified conservatives affirmatively say that Obama is the anti-Christ, with 17% not sure. Among the self-identified Republican label, it's 14% who say Obama has the number 666 hidden underneath his hair, plus 15% who aren't sure.

It's sad how right that sounds, Nora.