Anyone move to Portland BECAUSE of the weather? (Corvallis, Ashland: appointed, luxury)

[Yankeemama]

Yep, Khyron, tried to rep you but gotta spread the love around. Seriously, the idea of perfect weather baffles me. I don't care that much about weather but cannot live in hot weather year round. Done it and it makes me anxious and annoyed. Portland is grey compared to many other places but there is quite a bit of sun break that doesn't always get mentioned. I think the So-Cal poster was smoking something...

[JonathanLB]

Like I said, Oregon weather is way better than places like Wisconsin. If you compare Oregon to most of the states, which are completely uninhabitable and I have no clue why they have people in them at all, then yes, Oregon is great. But if you really look at this country city by city, the vast majority of cities are uninhabitable and have completely terrible weather. It speaks to the ingenuity of human invention that we even have people living in places with 3-4 feet of snow every winter. I just laugh at that, I mean seriously, move.

And yes, I've driven through California numerous times, not only when moving here, but also on a work trip throughout the state where we enjoyed seeing the entire state. It's almost nothing BUT green rolling hills everywhere! I've flown over it many times as well, that's what it is. California may not have the same pine trees everywhere in the state that grow in Oregon, sure, but it's a very green state. It doesn't look anything like Nevada or Arizona or some desert state. This state is green and we get plenty of rain, thanks, we just don't get constant rain like Oregon

I'd put $20 on people complaining about the sun being fat. Every fat person I know hates the sun because they can't put on a bunch of clothes and they already have such a large layer of extra weight that it makes them uncomfortable if it's above 55 or 60. The sun gives me energy, I feel exactly the opposite, when the sun is shining and I feel that warm light on my skin I instantly feel better and more energized. That is also GOOD for you, vitamin D, essential for life. In fact I had a vitamin D deficiency for a while that caused serious medical issues (sleeping 14 hours a day or more, no energy, felt terrible, etc.). And the best way to get vitamin D is from nature, the sun! It's the clouds and miserable rain and grayness of Oregon that ruins my energy.

There's one good thing to do in Oregon during 9 months of the year -- DRINK. Excessively.

But I do love Oregon summers, they are the most amazing summers anywhere I know. Gorgeous, perfect temperatures from about July 4 through mid-September, light until 9:30 or 10 p.m., great air quality, basically the best summers you will find anywhere. So I like spending as much of my time as possible in the summer up in Oregon. The summers are almost magical, not worth the rest of the year, but definitely special.

[aroseinrain]

@Jonathan:

I just moved back to Oregon from Fremont California a few months ago. We lived next to some big rolling green hills... green in the winter that is, the rest of the year they were brown.

I didn't like the people much - they were abrasive and didn't care much about each other. The attitude was different there (take, take, take, mine, mine, mine).

I didn't like the sun because the seasons never changed. Summer all year long, blech! Santa Claus in board shorts? really? No, thanks.

Also, the sun hurts my eyes and makes me squint all day (headache city). I'm not fat (not that there's anything wrong with that), I'm fit and lean - but my light colored eyes are bothered by the near constant bright light in California.

Glad to be home where it's darker and there's some good beer, coffee, and pie... and the people are considerate and understand me.

[JonathanLB]

Not to state the obvious or ask the obvious, but you know... they do have these things called sunglasses. They're pretty awesome. I have about 10 pairs of Oakley's now, accumulated over the years, and my eyes are also sensitive to light, I don't go outside without sunglasses even on an overcast day (UV rays can still damage your eyes, cloudy or not, which people don't seem to realize). I'd be squinting too if I didn't have sunglasses on, but Oakley's are the best glasses in the world and completely eliminate that issue.

I totally agree with you about people in California, well, I don't know, I mean people in Los Angeles anyway. They are all users. Maybe there are some good people, you know, here and there, but almost all users in my experience here, about 4.5 years total. I haven't met anyone I considered a real friend. Just a lot of people you can't wait to get away from.

And summer is the best season obviously, everyone waits all year for summer, so yes I love summer all year around. The weather here isn't good enough if you ask me. I wish every day would be 85 degrees high, 68 degrees low at coldest, and never change. No clouds, no rain, just every day exactly the same would be awesome. When you have perfection, there's no reason to wish for less than that. I don't want a winter because it's miserable. Walk outside and it's cold and miserable out, I have to put on a different jacket, my hands and ears are freezing, it's just awful. There is nothing better than a nice summer night where you walk outside and it's still warm out and during the day it's 80 to 85 maybe a light breeze.

[aroseinrain]

Originally Posted by JonathanLB

And summer is the best season obviously, everyone waits all year for summer, so yes I love summer all year around. The weather here isn't good enough if you ask me. I wish every day would be 85 degrees high, 68 degrees low at coldest, and never change. No clouds, no rain, just every day exactly the same would be awesome. When you have perfection, there's no reason to wish for less than that. I don't want a winter because it's miserable. Walk outside and it's cold and miserable out, I have to put on a different jacket, my hands and ears are freezing, it's just awful. There is nothing better than a nice summer night where you walk outside and it's still warm out and during the day it's 80 to 85 maybe a light breeze.

Obviously, you've never shared a hot & steamy moment of passion on a cold and foggy early morning/late night. The dew and mist swirling as two lovers stop in the street to satisfy their need for warmth.

Nothing hotter than a cold, wet November night.

[aroseinrain]

Plus, sunglasses are a problem for me -- I have problem eyes in general. Can't wear contacts, can't see for Spit, can't get laser surgery, all around bad eyes

[JonathanLB]

Haha I'm sorry, that's too bad. I had Lasik eye surgery, it was really amazing for me, I had pretty bad eyesight before. Not terrible but I couldn't see the blackboard in school if I wasn't in the first row, and if given a choice I always sat at the back of the class So I was stubborn and finally got glasses that I only wore in class a few times, and when I drove I had these sunglasses with Rx lenses that worked really well, I wore them even at night because my regular glasses I thought were a hazard (your eyes are circular, glasses are square for some reason that makes no sense to me -- they should be ROUND, duh, not hard to figure this out, so my sunglasses were round and had a lot fewer side-vision issues because they matched my eyes). Then finally in college I got Lasik eye surgery and now I have 20/12 vision, pretty amazing, so I'm happy and I love my sunglasses. I think sunglasses just look so cool in general, I like wearing them whenever possible!

[aroseinrain]

Originally Posted by JonathanLB

Haha I'm sorry, that's too bad. I had Lasik eye surgery, it was really amazing for me, I had pretty bad eyesight before. Not terrible but I couldn't see the blackboard in school if I wasn't in the first row, and if given a choice I always sat at the back of the class

I got all the way to the day of the appointment and they rechecked my measurements one last time and said that my eyes had changed just enough that I wasn't a candidate anymore. Heartbreaking! I've wanted that surgery for so many years, I keep rechecking to see if there's some new technology. Last time they said there might be a new kind of laser in five years (some sort of plasma laser?) so I'll check back then. so sad. *weep* I have what they call "hand vision", that means I can see my hand in front of my face about 6 inches away. Yuck! In high school I never wore my glasses anyway - pretty funny because people would be calling my name and I didn't even know where the sound was coming from so I'd just pretend I didn't hear it.


So I was stubborn and finally got glasses that I only wore in class a few times, and when I drove I had these sunglasses with Rx lenses that worked really well, I wore them even at night because my regular glasses I thought were a hazard (your eyes are circular, glasses are square for some reason that makes no sense to me -- they should be ROUND, duh,

LOL!!


not hard to figure this out, so my sunglasses were round and had a lot fewer side-vision issues because they matched my eyes).

I totally forgot! I do own two pair of prescription sunglasses. Just not a huge fan because they go out of style so quickly (maybe this is just ladies frames IDK) so I feel like a doof wearing them now. Plus they were like $300 each after my fancy special lenses -- pfft, glad I don't have to buy another pair.

Then finally in college I got Lasik eye surgery and now I have 20/12 vision, pretty amazing, so I'm happy and I love my sunglasses. I think sunglasses just look so cool in general, I like wearing them whenever possible!

Yeah, I'm pretty jealous about the sunglasses. I wish I could just pick up some cool looking cheapos somewhere. Maybe instead of lasix I should check out how much contact lens technology has evolved.

Anyway, still hate the sun... still hate CA. too.

[JonathanLB]

California blows. The weather is the only part of this place I actually like, pretty much. Even when people talk about the beaches, they're not so great, there are like 100,000 people everywhere, I don't consider that a fun time personally. Meh.

Every time the weather is bad in L.A. now, I point out the window and say, "Careful... your looks are the only thing I like about you!"

I don't think I could have ever tolerated contacts, the idea creeps me out and the idea of anything going near my eye is so freaky and just weird. Even having the Lasik surgery, I was about to have a panic attack, haha. Just dreading the whole thing. But at the same time I knew it'd be great long-term and... so... one of those things in life, you suck it up because it's a bit of discomfort and awkwardness for a lifetime of great vision. It was the best thing I have ever had done, really, I mean it's just weird how much that changes your life. Everything is better. I remember before I couldn't read street signs or see billboards, the world was just kind of a bit blurry at a distance, and now I can see everything perfectly. I try not to take it for granted, I try to think about it a bit each week or at least now and again how neat it is, because it wasn't always so!

[raedean]

lol