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Thanks, Steve- we enjoyed meeting you too- can you believe that awesome place is still on the market?
Mike- we sorta drifted into unconventionality, Greg's uncle (whom he grew up with and with only a few years difference in age, felt like a brother) moved from Seattle to be with us and got to experience it allllll first hand. He made the drive with Greg daily, was with him during the accident- the whole shebang. I think I agree with your post..... but I also think that the west (or at least NM) is a hard place. Doesn't have to be a bad thing, but if you think about it.......... harsh sun for the most part, unfriendly ground (no grass, goat heads and other things waiting to jab through your boots into your foot, lol), seemingly never-ending wind, some pretty unfriendly attitudes, extreme weather..... that sort of thing sort of fades the great food, the low cost of most things, the friendliness of some of the people into the background. Either you can thrive in NM or you can't- and we obviously couldn't. :0)
Thanks, Mike. We're not totally back to where we need to be, but we're on our way and there's a light at the end of the tunnel now.
Ya know, Rybert- you were right. Moriarty schools were great for the most part. The kids were well accepted and really seemed to blossom. When we came back here, it was with a new attitude- the two more introverted ones are more outgoing and everyone just seems more comfortable in their own skins. I wish the FFA were as active here as Moriarty, those were some really great people.
Can I assume your husband's commute was into Albuquerque? But if it was 100 miles each way, that wouldn't be right... who would want to live 100 miles from a job?
Let this be a lesson to anyone who looks at a map and thinks commuting from the East Mountain area to Albuquerque daily is direct and easy. One of my colleagues who lives south of Tijeras has missed an average of one day of work per week this winter because of the frequent snows in that area. Meanwhile the city has had only dustings.
I wonder if things would have worked out differently if you hadn't decided to live so far away from your husband's work, in the cold, snowy hinterland.
You comment about the west being a "hard place" is true in areas such as the one you chose. Not so true about the cities. We have it pretty easy here in town.
What's funny is that my realtor discouraged me from house-hunting in the East Mountains by comparing it to rural Tennessee... in geography and people.
Aries- oh no, that would have been nothing of a commute :0) His was to Santa Rosa, 97 miles one way, in a four wheel drive truck.
We CHOSE to live in the East Mountains, because of the people and the fit of the area. His job in Santa Rosa was only supposed to be temporary and he'd be moved less than 10 miles from home. His supervisor was replaced within days of our arrival and he went through another supervisor change before we left, almost ten months later. We could not, and would not, live in SR, so it's a moot point, really.
Ya know, Rybert- you were right. Moriarty schools were great for the most part. The kids were well accepted and really seemed to blossom. When we came back here, it was with a new attitude- the two more introverted ones are more outgoing and everyone just seems more comfortable in their own skins. I wish the FFA were as active here as Moriarty, those were some really great people.
You're not just saying that because you know I have a short fuse? lol
FFA was a major factor in my youth and helped me get to college. I wish there were FFA chapters here in ABQ.
Oh no, the Feet (lol) and all the assorted families were great. We never missed a meeting and really enjoyed everything the organization. Our wallflower even got involved in Parli Pro and found her voice and did a fantastic speech on Horse Slaughter (didn't get to deliver it because we wouldn't be there for the finals). The labor auction was hilarious!
Things had been rocky for a while- looking back, safe in our old farmhouse in TN, it's almost comedic. Back in NM, it was hellish.
First offender was Greg's job.....
I don't regret our time in NM and I think we were supposed to go there for a while. However, I do think perhaps we overstayed our welcome. We loved the beauty of the state, the great people, the affordability of almost everything and the great food and we'll be back on vacation, definitely.
Whoa. When it rains, it pours, doesn't it?
I'm glad y'all apparently got out in one piece, and are well on your way to smoothing things back out, and on to a better life. Hopefully things will work out for the best!
No, New Mexico is not for everyone.
As far as expenses and cost of living, the only things I have found cheaper in NM are property taxes and homeowner's insurance.
Everything else--food, services (yard, veterinary, repair, etc.) is far more expensive than I ever had in Texas. Now that PNM has spun their gas operations off (New Mexico gas), and the contract expires, we can probably look for natural gas expenses to shoot through the roof where I am now.
There ARE things I just absolutely hate about this state--and most I was aware of before I moved here; I just didn't realize how they would wear on me over time.
There are yet other things I really love, but I'm not yet sure where the balance lies at this point. Time will tell.
Hang in there, and I hope things go well for you and yours. I'm sorry it was so rough for y'all. That was really something--just piled on.
Last edited by Cathy4017; 03-25-2010 at 03:59 PM..
RamblingRoseRanch, I can relate to what you went through. My last seven years living in the Denver area before I moved to the western slope was a lot like your situation. Murphy's Law constructed this black cloud that followed me for a long time.
Your commentary on this forum has always been good. Peek in on this forum from time to time, though. Best of luck to ya!
Aries- I guess your realtor validated my findings, huh? :0) The city, ANY city, wasn't an option. We're country people, with all the accompanying animals that necessitate a home in a rural area.
Cathy- auto insurance was higher there, as was electricity. Food-wise, canned goods were more expensive. Across the board, most food was cheaper, especially milk. Here in TN, store brands are three bucks a gallon, with private labels between four and five bucks a gallon. Entertainment (as far as family activites, anyway) were much cheaper- a year for our family at all the Biopark has to offer was about thirty bucks cheaper than one day at just the zoo here. NM has so much to offer, as long as the cards fall your way, I guess. :0)
Aw, thanks Double H- I think I like your Murphy's Law cloud theory. I promise to not be a stranger, after all y'all are one reason we chose NM :0)
Fischer-girl- Glad to know we're not the only ones who felt that way and i'm sorry it isn't working out for you. I hope you can find happiness soon. Are you looking to go back to where you were or somewhere else?
Lisdol- Thanks for weighing in. According to the engineer, we had all the cost savings in place, from the heat saver thing to the variable rate peak/offpeak and our times of usage. I think the house had a serious problem, as even wearing long sleeves, warm pants and thick winter socks we still had to cover up with a blanket to be comfortable.
Yukon- Thanks for the well wishes. We'll always return with a full itinerary and leave with good memories- just so long as we don't have to live there :0)
Desert Sun- are you going back to something in Texas, or forward? You're not kidding about wanting to keep us there- we were supposed to leave the weekend before, but the snow knocked that out. We were dodging storms to leave as it was. As a matter of fact, it snowed on us from Clines Corners until we left the state.
lalahartma- We were told by locals that our particular area got slammed every three years and we just happened to hit there in year three. Honestly though, with one or two incidents, I think we would have been okay. All together felt like an attack and left us pretty well bruised, in all senses of the word.
im moving forward, ABQ is just not the place for me and my g/f, it just dosent have that home-y feeling, and since we are both from small towns we are going to move to a small town outside Fort Worth.
on family reunions, my car has died on me twice trying to leave the same small town in NM, there is something that tries to keep me there, sometimes it really does feel like the "Land of Entrapment". On the bright side , you know what its like to live in the East Mountains and you got to experience the ABQ and central NM.
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