Living in Door Co

[Aylalou]

Thanks for clueing me into the FIB. Hmmm I was born in Illinois!

[Owensmomma]

Re: FIB, it doesn't bother me because I know some of my fellow Illinoisans (esp. those from Chicago and its suburbs) probably inspired the title with their aggressive driver and demanding customer attitudes.

We don't miss IL at all, though we do miss family members and friends there. But when we go back to visit, we always comment about how happy we are that we no longer have to live there.

Re: shipbuilding going overseas, we're trying to make a go of freelancing because my husband lost his mfg.-related business due to offshoring to China. What has happened to our mfg. in this country is a sad, sad situation, that's for sure.

[nanannie]

The titile was inspired, as most of the natives will tell you in private, by jealousy. Illinois people bought up water front and prime property . Now the locals cant afford it. Many in Door and other resort communities depend greatly on the tourist dollars for income. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.

[Geechie North]

Originally Posted by Owensmomma

Re: shipbuilding going overseas, we're trying to make a go of freelancing because my husband lost his mfg.-related business due to offshoring to China. What has happened to our mfg. in this country is a sad, sad situation, that's for sure.

Suggest you read "The Myth of Free Trade" by Dr. Ravi Batra. Very direct and enlightening as to what killed the Middle Class in the USA.

[dcisive]

I'm in my mid 50's now, and while I grew up in Illinois, I spent a LOT of time in Wisconsin. I always loved and respected the folks up there. They returned the favor as I had never experienced any animosity when visiting there. I think indeed due to the lifestyle in general, and all of it's trappings in the Chicago area it tends to breed a bit of a high strung nature, and hence the attitude they bring to Wisconsin when visiting. Laugh if you will but I always could feel my blood pressure going down to a nice level when I crossed the State line.

I left Illinois altogether in the late 70's to work for a friend that had a business in Salt Lake City. I met a gal I decided to marry, and my brother, who was a business owner in Chicago asked me to join him. So thinking it would just be great to be near my folks and brother again we headed to the Chicago area. We stayed briefly, with my folks for a month as we looked for a place to live, but I got so disgusted with the area once more we moved up to West Allis (of all places) near New Berlin. Although the experience was ok, it could perhaps have been even better. Heck, it was our first year and a half of marriage we spent up there, but at least the Sunday brunches were good (man those people in the Milwaukee area know how to eat). Well, I digress....

My wife didn't care for it so we ended up taking a job out in the San Francisco Bay area near some friends that had moved out there. We spent 10 years there having bought a house, until the cost of living got unbearable. We moved back to Salt Lake and have been here since now owning a nice new home. However from 1993 to 2003 I had a traveling sales job which covered Ohio to the West Coast (yeah crazy huh and by car no less). I spent a LOT of time in Wisconsin, and ironically it became my highest grossing sales territory of the 17 States I covered. It shocked a lot of folks to hear that.

I purposely flew my wife into Milwaukee for a break week on occasion during my travels, to enjoy Door County. It was a nice way to decompress and enjoy life while dealing with the rigors of all the travel I endured. I miss those times up in Wisconsin as well. The people always treated me so well, and ohhh the smell of that country air off the beaten paths. If they could bottle that I'd buy it for sure. So all of my memories were great ones in good old Wisconsin. I've spoken to many people around the country that have no clue how nice it can be there.

Back in 1977 I nearly died in a serious car crash that occured due to a very old man that was from Minnesota who shouldn't have been driving, pulled out in front of me on a country highway East of Wyalusing State Park. The wonderful folks in the nearby town of Patch Grove had their "rescue squad" take me into Prairie Du Chein who quickly sent up by ambulance to LaCrosse Lutheran Hospital, where I convaleced for several weeks before returning to the Chicago area to further recover. All of the folks up in Wisconsin were so good to me, and I credit that with my remaining alive and recovering. Sorry to have bored everyone with my life story, but seeing this thread just brought back so many great memories of your Great State and people in it. Bless you all........you have a good reason to be proud of your home there.......