I lived the first 26 years of my life in New York. The latter 20 years have been in California. I have my eye on moving at some point in the future, but for now I have to say that California is still a wonderful place to be. We have the Pacific Ocean and a border with Mexico. We have mountains that can be capped with snow or that can cast magnificent shadows with their alluvial formation. San Diego has the zoo. Los Angeles has the studios. Orange County has the amusement parks. San Francisco has the sourdough. And the San Joaquin Valley has the food and produce that keep us alive. Are there problems here? Governor Schwarzenegger doesn't think so. Yeah, we've got polluted air and water, but we have also got a democratic state government, a blue color on the election map and--did I mention--sourdough? I still love California !
Hey Duncan! What's up? You know, I just realized you were 46...lol. Everytime I looked at your age before, I like read it as 26 or something...I don't know. Anyway...what do I like about Oregon? I love Portland for it's great vibe. The cool buildings downtown, the cool people, etc. But I can't stand being in the city all the time. I like Oregon because you can do a little bit of driving and be in a totally different area. The coast is great...I love the desert Central Oregon, as well as the moutains. I love the rivers, the rafting, the fishing, the kayaking. There's a wide variety of food in the state, especially in Portland . Great Thai Food. Good coffee.
Even northeastern Ohio has some things in its favor. The cost of living here is low. The city where I live is starting to develop more progressive activism and a growing concert scene, thanks to our new convocation center. We have a comparatively low risk of natural disasters. Cleveland and Pittsburgh are close enough for an evening or a day. Toronto and Washington are close enough for an easy weekend. Even Chicago and New York aren't all that far. We've got great ethnic food. Briar Hill pizza is unheard of elsewhere, and we are in the part of the country where wedding soup is common. We have a change of seasons: fall and spring can be glorious. Summer is not always hot and muggy, and winter is not always bitterly cold and snowy. If you want the outdoors, Lake Erie is close. You don't have to drive more than an hour or so from most towns around here, and you're in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains.
I live in a small town in Arkansas. The countryside is beautiful. The people (solid real rednecks) are good and accepting of weirdo’s. I am that long hair that lives next to the xxxxxx's old place. The town is small enough that my wife’s and my opinion matters on the school board and the city council. We had a town cop when I first came here who thought he was a SWAT person. He is looking for work now. Many people who I talk to are beginning to think that our pres. could not do a days work if his life depended on it and he has no idea of how much chicken goes for a pound. You have to teach people in ways they will understand. Still too many christens here but they are redneck enough to leave a fellow alone unless they cross his fence line. Good place to make a difference. Have to drive a ways to get to a good book store. However, I use the local library a lot and they will get me any book I want on interlibrary loan. Lot to be said for the middle of a poor red state.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,italian_wedding_soup,FF.html ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP Chicken broth 4 chicken breasts, skinless 1 onion, cut in half 1 carrot Celery tops 2 tsp. salt 6 qts. water In large kettle combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken, cook and cut into small pieces. Strain broth and return to kettle. Add to broth - 2 ribs celery, cut small; 2 carrots, grated; 1 onion, diced; 8 chicken bouillon cubes. Simmer 30 minutes, then add to broth: 1 head endive, cleaned and shredded and par boiled 1 minute in salted water; drain. Add cubed meat and meat balls. Before serving, while soup is simmering add very slowly: 2 well beaten eggs to soup. Stir constantly. Serve with flavored croutons. WEDDING SOUP MEATBALLS: 1/2 lb. lean ground beef 2 tsp. dried parsley 1/4 c. cheese, grated 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Sprinkle of garlic powder 1/4 tsp. oregano 1/4 tsp. basil 1 egg 2 slices bread, soaked in milk (sm. amount) Mix all ingredients together and shape into 1/2 inch balls. Drop into pan of boiling water 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add to Italian wedding soup along with cured chicken as noted in previous recipe.
I'm from from South Carolina, traveled the northeast, then lived in my car all up and down the West Coast, lived in Hermosa Beach California 2 years, a summer in Oregon and a sping in western Washington - Eastern Motnana is the last best place because it's as far away one can live in American and still be in the lower 48. It's unspoiled, untained; it's open, wild, and rugged. Eastern Montana is just left of nowhwere, it's the great American void, existing as it's own geographicly unique cosmos. I live on the far eastern edge of the great state of Montana here in Fairview, with a fair view of the Lower Yellowstone River Valley, I can see 45 miles to the north, 12 miles to the south, and the badlands to the east from my home. It's sunny, even when it's extremely cold. It's a harsh climate, only for those with true grit, whimps can't make it out here. It's remote and it's harsh, but it's very free, do what you will harm me none culture. Laid back and open, they try to be as progressive as they can, but it is still developing, most of the towns are less than 100 years old. There's sense of community out here in these remote eastern Montana towns like none I've seen anywhere else. Since it's hundreds and hundreds of miles to anything else, community is all they have so that's where the energy is directed, and it shows. The ture rural Montana culture is very different than any other I've come across in this country, it's kind of like living NOrthern Exposure - though I never watched that show. At the "Essential Air service Airport" Big Sky Airlines locally known as "Big Scare" is one of the last non secure airports, there's an elk head on a rock wall, the car rental is a card board table, which is run by the lady who takes the tickets, is the air traffic controler and airport janitor. Then she locks up the airport to go read power meters. ect...
Montana -- cool -- I'll be in Big Timber in Sept for a wedding I love Denver, and the rest of Colorado. The city is pretty diverse, a melting pot of sorts, especially when it comes to cuisine. The biggest draw, I think, is the Rocky Mountains. The view alone is worth the higher cost of living. The air is dry, which is a welcome change after growing up in humid Oklahoma. There is always something interesting to do and new things to learn. (not really unique). Being a fairly large city, Denver doesn't really feel like a big city. It's very casual -- I have seen people wearing jeans to symphony performances and fine dining establishments. The only drawback for me is it can get very cold here, and I really hate being cold.
not really all that much good around here.. there are cool places to go.. like the House of Blues.. the VooDoo Lounge.. Excaliber... a night club that's haunted.. too many to mention...
