at least you stuck to your guns
if you want to better yourself, nobody has the right to tell you not to.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:21, 1 reply)

The irony is
that I would have ended up further ahead if I had never gone to get that degree. I probably would have ended up divorced anyway- things were pretty bad even before that- but I would have been able to keep drafting.

If I can somehow make it through until next June, I can sell this house and at least be free of that as my daughter will graduate high school and I won't be rooted here anymore. At that point it might be wise to relocate to where there is still engineering going on- though the thought of moving to Texas gives me the creeps.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:26, closed)

are they still all christian fundamental-ish there?

( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:29, closed)

Yes, with an emphasis on the mentalist part.
It's also flatter than a platter of piss, unbearably hot and dusty, from what I'm told. As I'm from the mountains of New York the climate alone would be torture. Add in the wacko Christian part and it'd be murder.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:31, closed)

come to england
we let everybody in here ;)
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:33, closed)

Heh.
Nice thought. Only three problems, the last of whom is about to graduate from high school.

Maybe in another five to ten years I might be able to consider it, but maybe not even then. They do need to have their father around and available.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:36, closed)

your kids will always need you around
but remember, as much as you want them to be happy, they want you to be happy, too.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 19:39, closed)

She's just as likely to hop the pond
as you are when she decides what she wants to do with her life. Don't feel rooted to any one place. A child will gladly come visit you, whether it be across a country or an ocean. If you find a solid engineering job somewhere, move there, and she'll possibly follow. You aren't just opening doors for yourself. Also, on an engineers salary for a big firm, you may just be able to fork out for the plane tickets to have her visit more often. At the very least you'll give her the courage to get up and go when an opportunity presents itself. As an added bonus, imagine how the ex will feel when you're living the high (middle class) life on another continent.
Not that I have any preference personally, I'm Canadian. But I can say this: at 22 years old, my parents being rooted somewhere has very little bearing on where I choose to live my life. My grandmother's husband is from the UK and moved here about 15 years ago, once all his children were out on their own. They speak regularly by telephone (gotta love Skype) and have been visiting a lot lately as his health has deteriorated due to cancer.
(Turtlenuts, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:01, closed)

The other half of this
is that I have aging parents- Dad is 82 and Mom is 81. I only see them a few times a year at this point, but I suspect that that is about to change. I know for a fact that they would really rather that I move closer to them, and most likely I will. I have seen ads for engineering jobs in New Jersey, for instance.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:18, closed)

better than texas
and not too far from new york
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:25, closed)

Depends on where in NJ it is.
Newark is not to be considered, for instance. In fact, most of northern NJ is pretty much out of the running as it's overrun with guidos and the detritus of NYC. There are some pockets of civilization there, but they're islands in a sea of twatbadgery.

Northern PA is actually quite nice as well. In a year or so I may see what I can find up there. But at this point Virginia is pretty well devoid of much of anything for me as far as I can tell.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:33, closed)

ah well
wherever you end up, good luck!
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:34, closed)

Come
TO AUSTRALIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
(lemonadegame, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 23:11, closed)

The land of plenty!
And vegemite sandwhichs
( jakedamusss I understand, and dont care., Fri 1 Oct 2010, 3:11, closed)

You should work for this guy
Hank Scorpio:
Scorpio 1
Scorpio 2
Scorpio 3

He really is a nice, caring individual.
(Turtlenuts, Fri 1 Oct 2010, 15:34, closed)

And Chopper!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh6pZQX22CQ
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 1 Oct 2010, 16:20, closed)

Plus if you do want to emigrate
you can find lots of internet people willing to put you up.
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Thu 30 Sep 2010, 20:02, closed)

Texas
is indeed hot and flat, but at least there is work here in the semi-conductor industry. Samsung are just about to start expanding again, with perhaps another fab breaking ground in the spring. I take it you are looking at Austin?
(ianisme, Fri 1 Oct 2010, 3:03, closed)

That's where I'm seeing jobs posted.
Highly unlikely that I'll move there, though. Again, too far from my kids and family.

My best guess is that I'll find some way to stumble along for a year, sell this house (pretty much guaranteed that I can at least get rid of it, if not make money, because it's a half mile from one of the highest-rated high schools in the country), then figure it out from there. I've married a college professor who is quite open to the possibility of leaving this area once she gets tenured and can start shopping around to other schools for better pay. If we do that we can dump her house (or rent it out) and start fresh somewhere else and not have to worry as much about me having a career. So about two years from now I may be completely off the hook, as it were, and be able to call myself an artist for real. *chuckle*

It just seems horridly ironic that I spent so much money and time going through hell to make sure I had a decent career, only to have the economy shift and make it impossible to work in my chosen field.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Fri 1 Oct 2010, 16:17, closed)