my brother called me yesterday with an interesting offer. if we don't find work by this summer, he's willing to help us move out to atlanta, where he claims there are quite a few jobs for both saxy and i. i poked around a bit online and really didn't see much, but there's more than there is out here. course, almost any place probably has more than where we are now, and, like wisconsin, the cost of living is lower. course, it would go up a bit for us since we'd be out of low income housing, but we could get a 3 bedroom house out there for less than a 2 bedroom apartment out here, and in a safer neighborhood.

the plan right now is to get the car (yes, we're still looking for a vehicle) and keep looking for work. if we don't find anything, or what we find is utterly worthless in terms of pay, then we'd probably go ahead and move. we're also talking about sitting tight until summer, but you never know if a good job will come along, especially once we have a car.

saxy's reaction to the possibility of moving was less than enthusiastic when i told him what my brother had suggested. i understand his concern for his parents, but they are doing okay. his father seems to be fairly recovered from his accident a few year ago (although there are some residual effects, but that's to be expected), and though his mother is having a few more health issues now, none of them seem to be life threatening. besides, staying here isn't taking care of our family. there are no jobs, and there are unlikely to be any jobs for some time, particularly where we live.

then there's the heat, the humidity, the availability of culinary school, and what if we don't find a job? on and on and . . . sigh.

today he seems a bit more open to it - i think saxy just needs time to think about things, not have them thrown on him. we're discussing the how's and when's. 3 or 4 kids, a dog, and 2 cats is going to be quite a trip. kitten may choose to stay here with dad, or come with us, it's up to her. we would still need a car, and we would rent a trailer, but probably take very little furniture with us. still, even with just books, music and dvd's, clothes, and other personal things, plus the few electronics we'd be keeping, we're still looking at quite a bit of stuff.

talk about incentive to start cleaning out the collection boxes of all the stuff one has pack ratted over the years.

i know we've been talking about moving for a couple of years now, and it has yet to happen, but things have yet to fall in place either. the big problem with any move has been a place to stay while we look for work once we get there. with my brother willing to help find and pay for a place and some basic furnishings, we don't have that obstacle any more. oh, i'm sure there will be others as we prepare to go, but i think even saxy has to admit that moving would probably be the best for us in the long run.

california is an okay place, it just has nothing to offer us except struggle and poverty, with no real hope of ever getting out of it. why stay? i think moving is an eventuality for us one way or another, it's just been a matter of when.

maybe that when is now.