Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or San Luis Obispo? (Santa Monica, San Rafael: for sale, how much)

[outaPA]

Originally Posted by LDDiamondGirl

Are you out of Pennsylvania? Well, I'm OutaOhio. I wish I knew about this website a year ago before we moved. I realize I am probably in a minority here, because I am in a minority in the country, too. I grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio and it was wealthy, beautiful, had the best schools in the country at the time and although my family was at the lower end of the wealthy, I could take advantage of all those beautiful things paid for by the others in much larger proportions than we could afford. I moved from Newport Beach back to Ohio after the 94 quake ruined my life for a while and I had to regroup. I only returned last year and we are living in this area now mostly because that is where we could afford to live if we wanted back to California. I am doing as well as I thought I would. I am not able to "Bloom where I'm planted" as I thought I would be. This is precisely why I am writing what I am writing here and why I think this website is so important and so invaluable an asset to anyone who is contemplating a relocation. Honestly, I was so hell bent on getting back to the beauty of the west coast that I am probably incorrect in saying I would have been swayed not to come to this area had I been better informed. This and only this is where the opportunity was. And just like the person who, I read, moved from Santa Monica to Bakersfield (not a typo), we needed to go where the opportunity presented itself. But now, I am carefully strategizing our next move, which I swore I wouldn't do. I said I'd rather have my fingernails extracted one by one without anesthesia rather than move again. But boy was I wrong. So, I am glad someone found something good about what I had to say. It's honest. It's not meant to offend. It's meant to be somewhat entertaining and creative (otherwise why would I waste my time writing all this?).....but most of all it's meant to help. so good luck.

Thank you so much! Yes, your insight has been very helpful.

Oddly enough, the only time I was in California was during the Northridge quake of 1994. My daughter and I were visiting family in Santa Clarita, just north of L.A.. The rest of the week's "vacation" was spent driving around looking for food, gas, and water. Having lived in Central America before, I was used to tremors. But I knew right off that this one felt different. It wasn't the normal back and forth swaying, it was up and down. (My daughter slept through it!) I am very sorry for you that it was such a disruption in your life.

But on the bright side, you got yourself out of Cleveland, didn't you? Although I like Cleveland better than Pittsburgh (my cousins live there, and others down by Akron), the culture here I find to be soul deadening. At least for me. It is a slow death living here. So, I'm planning my escape! I basically can choose anywhere to go in the country. (Out of the country is an option too.) So, like you, I am choosing California mainly for its culture. Climate is an important factor when choosing to live somewhere, but the people you have to live around and their culture are more important, I think. So, it is unfortunate that you don't fit in so well in SLO, and the remedy is probably to do more research and find another place. There are business brokers who could find a buyer for your business. Or run it as an absetee owner if that's possible. Just some suggestions, without knowing your situation. You know what you don't want in a place. It is difficult to "know" a place until you live there. But this forum is such a wonderful tool to find out more without visiting. So, because of your insight and experiences, you have helped others to "know" what SLO is and isn't. Myself, I've scratched it off my list, because I know for sure that the things that bother you, would get to me too.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

Ah,, my deranged sister in law... you know the word that resembles 'itch' well,, to the point of insanity she is. A few beers at a table in a small bar off Higuera street, and I could tell you the tales..

I'll spill the dough if you spill the beans

[LDDiamondGirl]

No,
Men marry deranged women for one reason. You know what that is.
How's her body today?

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by LDDiamondGirl

Men marry deranged women for one reason. You know what that is.
How's her body today?

Au contraire, mon amis! I've been extremely turned on by mediocre-looking women who have crazy borderline-psycho personalities because of the excitement and sense of danger! Fortunately I stop myself before I go too far, but there's definitely an appeal for men in dangerous women, just as many women are turned on by men who live their lives on the cutting edge of risk and adventure. We all have different balances between our need for stability and our need for risk-taking, it's written into the genetic code! Without stability, we'd be dead. Without risk-takers, we'd fail to adapt and we'd end up dead eventually. Somewhere in between the two extremes lies the perfect balance, and the exact location of that "somewhere" is different for each person. Vive le difference!

[greatbasinguide]

She was cute, I imagine she keeps herself up, my dislike for her is so intense that I cannot successfully comment.

It is true about crazy women,, I used to seek them out.. then I married one, cured me.. first wife.. still crazy as a loon, but she was a lot of fun.

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

It is true about crazy women,, I used to seek them out.. then I married one, cured me..

What more can I say? Both men and women have to learn this lesson unless they're blessed with good judgment when they're young.

If you'll pardon yet another evolutionary reference from me, there is a reason why we're attracted to dangerous people of the opposite sex. They're more likely to be the ones who discover a new source of food, a new place to live, a new tribe to conquer, etc. But they're not good at nurturing. This is shown clearly in a series of studies of humans and other apes in which it's clear that females want a dangerous mate to be the biological father but they want a sweet, safe and nurturing mate to be the actual parent. Need references? I've gotten it all from years of reading academic journals, watching the Science channel, subscribing to Discover, etc., so it's hard for me to summarize it in a post on a web forum. But I could do some research to find those sources if you insist .

[LDDiamondGirl]

Wow. You sound smart. You, too, Mr. GBG....That was a very interesting perspective. That was a laugh about your ex, "crazy as a loon." Those loons are fun. My ex was one of those risk-taking excitement junkies that PhDT so eloquently described. Yes, they are fun, too. They make the world a spicey place. Definitely there is a need for that. Then there are the ones who you wish could "kick it up a notch".....so you don't die snoring. Oh well, life's a cabaret, no????

[greatbasinguide]

There are various forms of crazy, my brothers wife was a spoiled rotten the world revolves around her, to the exclusion of everyone else.

My ex was crazy at first,, in the "rock and roll" department,, the extent of her looniness came only after the birth of our son...

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by LDDiamondGirl

Wow. You sound smart. You, too, Mr. GBG....

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

There are various forms of crazy...

And various forms of "smart." I'd be interested to find out GBG's intelligence vs. mine. I think I'm more abstract and theoretical in my smarts and GBG is smarter in the real world. In other words, if you want to live scraping by from check to check but have a lot of interesting conversations and drama, choose a man like me as your mate. If you want a man who will keep the house together and bring stability while making smart decisions about other aspects of life so that you can sleep soundly at night with less drama, then choose GBG.

[LDDiamondGirl]

We're all flawed. So don't throw anyone away for a new one. That's my shrink's (from another lifetime) advice.

Where's the scorekeeper????? Dan, are you out there somewhere....looks like we need an update.

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