Sorry Nephew but what "I rest my case"???

Sorry buddy,

What about Beau/Tehya, you and Shanna, Jill and Paul, Fordo and Kate outweigh Sharon and I, Jeannie and Mom, Ricky and Nida, Wally and Gena? How do Seattle and Portland stack up against SF/Santa Cruz/Monterey and Yosimite? Oh, and you completely skipped over the fact that "IT'S ALWAYS RAINING UP THERE!!!"

See, thing is... your mom and dad, Sharon and I, Mom and Jeanie, Ricky and Nida, Wally and Gena... we're all "old". We like to do "old people things"... like jetski in 10 foot ocean surf, 4 wheel off big cliffs, etc. We're not into young people things like jumping off cliffs when skiing... ok, maybe we are but we end up wounded when we do, so it's best if we just stick to riding our motor cycles on black ice... ok that's not a very good idea either... so maybe we should all live where there isn't black ice or "slick wet pavement" so that when we "wobble" we don't fall down. Falling down sucks when you're old!

Bottom line is that you haven't convinced me. I'm still not believing that WA is a better place to move than CA. Your folks would make more $$$ here, could buy a bigger, better house cheaper here, and would ultimately live a better quality of life... HERE! They can fly up to see you a couple of times a month if that's what makes them happy.

I know it's important to Coco to be very involved in Tehya and Beau's growing up years. If that makes it worth it to live in the rain and overcast sky all the time then I'm supportive. Just know what you're getting into. When we lived there the first time Sharon went "really weird" on me. Turns out she has SAD. Without sunshine she was a real headcase. A normally "very upbeat and positive" woman turned into a sad, depressed, cynical person. Don't want to see that happen to anyone else in my family - it sucked!

Ask her and she'll tell you. It was bad. So bad that the last 2 times I was stationed in WA, I made her stay in CA and got home on the weekends when I could... that's how much I didn't want to live that "life" again. Three years folks! Three years that I was away from the person I care for the most in my life (except weekends I could get home). I'd do it all again tomorrow to avoid the life I lived when she was there with me in Washington. It was better to only see her a couple of days a week "happy" than to see her depressed every day of the week.

If you can live with rain and gloomy weather in order to be close to your kids and grand kids, then I say go for it. We'll come see you (and not only when it's nice - "no dig - although I have a million of them"). Just please, please think it over. You'll be moving close to your kids but to a place that has less "good weather days" than where you live now - and where you live now ain't all that great.

Love ya Blayner but I think from wages, housing costs (and upside potential) and weather position - CA wins out over WA. But, whatever your mom and dad decide, at least they will be closer than they are now.

OBTW: Your dad is suppose to visit here next week after he visits you guys for the weekend. Good luck with the WA "vote" after that ;-) Unfortunately (for my case) I see you're suppose to have a "decent" weekend this week so when he visits here he won't have just come from the "rainy" Washington we all know and "love". I think 80+F in October down here might just have enought of an impact though.

Once again, just my two cents!

Love ya all,
Stosh