martinibuster Says Goodbye to the SF Bay Area

and Hello Massachusetts!

[martinibuster]

I'm moving to central MA at the end of this month. I'm done with the SF Bay Area. Nothing wrong with the Bay Area, it's just that I'm done with it and need something new. Moving to the East Coast will put me closer to Europe which is where I aim to spend more of my vacations.

If you are local to the SF Bay Area and want to join me and others for a burger and a beer on Wednesday the 23rd then PM me and I'll give you the details.

[henry0]

I'll have a beer or red wine my favorite with you in "Our area" We could be, if both driving, just one hour away from a meeting point.
Happy moving.

[incrediBILL]

Sad to see you move out of the area but there's probably fewer stray bullets in MA flying around than there are in Oakland - DUCK! ... and nobody wants to Occupy Central MA either.

[martinibuster]

Not only less bullets in urban areas, but smaller lines at the supermarket, parking a car doesn't take a half hour, don't have to stand in line an hour early to see a movie, don't have to stand in line for a half hour to buy an ice cream, no ginormous traffic jams on the scale of the SF Bay Area; petty annoyances common to the SF Bay Area that cumulatively add up to a lower quailty of life in the SF Bay Area.

[smallcompany]

less bullets in urban areas, but smaller lines at the supermarket, parking a car doesn't take a half hour, don't have to stand in line an hour early to see a movie, don't have to stand in line for a half hour to buy an ice cream, no ginormous traffic jams

Man, I hate how much time is wasted on anything anywhere in today's cities.

[cittaslow.org...]
I found about the above few years ago. It looks like only small towns are able (and eager) to earn this designation. In any case, I see it as a very positive movement. Live life for good life, not for whatever else.

Good luck in your move!

[treeline]

Welcome to New England!

[bakedjake]

mb if you're driving either I-90 or I-86 through new york ping me for a beer.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

no ginormous traffic jams on the scale of the SF Bay Area

I take it the Big Dig is done then? :)

[incrediBILL]

@martinibuster all those problems you describe don't exist down in the San Mateo area either, you certainly don't need to move 3K miles away just to find short checkouts, quick parking and no lines at the movies. Just get out of Oakland, Berkeley and SF and you can find that anywhere else in the vicinity. Sheesh.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

But New Englanders are more sane. ;o)

[tedster]

What a bummer - I moved away from MA just before you move to MA. I was hoping to see you more after the move ;(

[henry0]

@BDW Sure it's a proven fact :)
Even I leave there!

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

I was working with an American guy from the Boston area back in the nineties and he was telling me that his brother was getting a divorce. I asked him what went wrong and he offered, "She's from California" with no qualification. ;)

.

[martinibuster]

Hey Ted, thought I was going to be closer to you. Guess not. I hope to mix it up with the New York mixers some time though.

My daughter's flying out with the grandma and the cats. Wife and I are driving through Texas for BBQ (Austin/Lockhart/Luling) then on to New Orleans for poboys. After that it's a trip to Graceland then a tour of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

[edited by: martinibuster at 3:52 pm (utc) on May 23, 2012]

[buckworks]

That sounds almost like a honeymoon trip. Enjoy! :)

[bhartzer]

Wife and I are driving through Texas for BBQ

I have to say, the BBQ is much better here in Dallas than in Austin.

What a culture shock it's going to be. Good luck.

[martinibuster]

For the BBQ I'm actually driving south to Lockhart, possibly to Smittys. Then further south to City Market, in Luling TX.

Believe me, I'd love to hit more places in Texas, I love the different styles of BBQ and want to familiarize myself more with the Texas style but my window of opportunity is short, have to meet the moving truck in MA on a specific day.

I'm going to hit some BBQ joints in Tennesse as well, including a spicy fried chicken shack. RMJVL sent me some tips (thanks!)

[incrediBILL]

If you aren't hitting KC BBQ then you might as well scrub the trip.

Without a stop at Arthur Bryant's you're just paying lip service to BBQ and even several Presidents know that! [en.wikipedia.org...]

That's what I miss most about living in KC was there was good BBQ on almost every corner and I could swing thru the drive-in for a burnt end sandwich on the way home vs. the SF Bay Area where the best BBQ I've found so far is Gorilla BBQ in a railroad car up in Pacifica.

Of course CA has places that claim to be BBQ but most wouldn't know BBQ if it snuck up and bit them on the butt. It's kind of like going to India and looking for a good beef hamburger, ain't gonna happen.

[martinibuster]

Bill, I hear you. KC is on my bucket list and I'm regretting I can't make it out there. Rest assured I'm going to make it to KC for their BBQ someday...

[anallawalla]

Wow. Give us an update in February, when winter has set in. Bet there isn't any passable Tex-Mex food in MA.

But a great example of how portable our industry can be for the self-employed.

[mslina2002]

Actually we had a very mild winter. Apparently there was more snow in Texas than in the North East! [weather.blogs.foxnews.com...]
The only negative about a mild winter is that the deer ticks are now the size of roaches. So if you like to do yard work or have a pet, keep an eye on them.

No decent Tex-Mex food here but if you like seafood, lobster at $4.99 per pound in season is much cheaper than steak, ribs, wings, etc. You have to know where to find it though.

Welcome to MA!

[tedster]

if my rankings suffer while under the effects of a black hat attack I have the right to sue and/or make a criminal complaint.

Pure Mexican - there definitely is in Boston/Cambridge. The Forest Grill on Mass Avenue, for instance, focuses on fresh fish dishes from coastal Mexican traditions. And because they are near the big colleges, they keep the prices very low to attract students. Not quite up to the standards of Isla in Vegas, but close!

[skibum]

I'll be road tripping somewhere in there in a month or so on the way up to Acadia.

[martinibuster]

PM me. I def want to network with the locals and those passing through. :)

[tedster]

I hope to mix it up with the New York mixers some time though.

I went to NYC from Boston about twice a month and almost never missed a monthly meetup - well worth doing. An since I still work with NYC agencies and clients, I expect to keep doing that from PA.

[jimsthoughts]

You're not too far from me now, you'll have to stop by the office sometime!

[martinibuster]

Absolutely Jim, would love to visit the ninjaplex. ;) Upstate New York State is an area I plan on visiting at some point. Lots of good fishing and other activities.

[Robert Charlton]

Hey martinibuster - I've been wondering where you are and how the trip has been going. It was good to see you twice the month before you left.

...don't have to stand in line an hour early to see a movie, don't have to stand in line for a half hour to buy an ice cream...

You don't have to do those things in the Bay Area either. I'm certain, though, that if there's a crowded, noisy place in New England, you will find it. ;)

There are many reasons I'd love to get back to the East Coast for a visit, but I'd never again willingly be there in the summer time. You did pick a good time to get out of Oakland, no question about it, though it was a stunningly beautiful day if you didn't have to go anywhere. [mercurynews.com...]

(You forgot to mention earthquake, fires, plagues, pestilence, and the high cost of living).