Dilemma

[garote]

Almost a week ago the landlord decided that if we wanted to keep the cat, we would have to move out. The thought of a little fuzzy critter scraping up the walls and peeing on the carpets was too much for him. He said that we should clear out by the end of December, so he can raise the rent and security deposit and bring in three new tenants, and start all over again.

This created an explosion of activity within the house, as we tried to decide what to do. The housemates all began looking for local rentals that would accomodate all of us together, or each of us individually. La and I contacted our friends in Cupertino, and together we all went out to look at houses we'd consider renting "over the hill". I decided that this move would signal a new direction for us, including a renewed focus on finding me a higher-paying job.

Just as our options were cohering, the landlord changed his mind. Apparently the thought of seeking a new set of tenants was even worse than the thought of housing a kitten. Now he says we can stay in the house and keep the kitten, provided we agree to an increase in rent that he's been "wanting to do for a while anyway".

And now I can't make up my mind.

Here are the benefits of staying here:

- I can continue to walk to work, saving relatively about $100 a month in gas as long as I work here
- Groovy Santa Cruz weather and the sound of elephant seals drifting in the window
- close proximity of beach and UCSC wilderness for weekend excursions
- reduced commute time for the La
- a variety of convenient organic food stores
- more garden space
- lower utility costs (divided between five instead of four)

And here are the benefits of moving over the hill, if we choose the first house we looked at:

- nice central as well as forced air heating
- a bathtub for the La
- closer proximity to Asian food stores and electronics stores
- room for Dan to install his hot tub
- closer proximity to much larger San Jose job market
- additional garage space
- built-in Braindead Monkeys jam space
- an extra room for La and I to use as a "study", or as guest room

Things shared by BOTH places:

- groovy housemates
- a fireplace
- a nice kitchen
- hardwood floors
- the same rent

What should I do? La and I don't have the money saved up to invest in property, so we still must rent for the time being. I'm acutely interested in finding programming-oriented work, instead of frustrating I.T. stuff. La needs to do at least one more semester at Cabrillo, which is a long way from San Jose (but thanks to her class scheduling, she and I can carpool).

Yargh!

Comments

[aquestrian.livejournal.com]

hmm, that's tough! Go with what feels most right. Soon the answer will be clear. If you feel like it's time to move on and you're excited by that possibility, that might be an answer. If you'd feel better staying, stay.

[robocowboy.livejournal.com]

Man, you've got a lot piled on either side of that scale, and it still seems to balance (at least with what you've presented). I guess the real question is: are you looking for change in your life or are you content the way things are? You could weigh all of the pros and cons and probably find a draw every time, so you just have to decide for yourself, and ask the others involved, if it is time to move on.

[robocowboy.livejournal.com]

Oh, and another thing to consider is this: how important is your environment? Does the sea make you happy and will being away from it make you shrivel up and die? I know that I can't live too far from the ocean. It is a necessity for me.

Being walking distance from the shoreline sure sounds nice.

[thegoodreverend.livejournal.com]

It's a tough decision, you've got to weigh what is most important for you. While I enjoy driving, I hate driving in traffic, so being close to work was very important. We put together a list of other things we needed in a house, wanted in a house, and absolutely wouldn't stand for in a house. That helped narrow things down.

[garote]

Indeed, the sea is a nice thing to have handy. The cool, fresh air during the evening hours is terrific. However, I haven't actually gone into the ocean all year, so it feels a bit frivolous... And just how far is too far? I don't really know! The ocean would still be about 45 minutes away...

[robocowboy.livejournal.com]

I rarely go to the sea either, but just having it close-by is very important. It changes the climate, the air quality, and somehow gives me a sense of security. The ocean is very important to me. 45 minutes away would probably be tolerable for me, but I'd eventually want to move back closer.

I think one day I'll end up living somewhere near Mendocino, because I'm a foggy islander by heredity and that kind of weather just makes me feel good.

How do you feel about your job? Do you hate it, or does it kind of irritate you, or is it tolerable aside from the pay?

[garote]

Well, the San Jose apartment has more of the things we like, but neither place is perfect. In San Jose we'd get a bathtub, more storage space, an office/craft room, and adequate parking. So house-wise we'd be moving up in the world. And the commute is against the flow of the rush-hour traffic, and doesn't take place during rush-hour anyway, so congestion won't be a factor - just the length of the drive.

Out of curiosity ... what things would you not stand for when looking for a house?

[thegoodreverend.livejournal.com]

It was fairly general things in our "would not put up with" and "necessary" categories: The house had to have at least 2 bedrooms, could not be more than 30 minutes or 15 miles from our work locations, had to have a broadband access provider, and had to be in an area we'd be happy living in for 3+ years.

We missed a few of our "would really like" items, most notably a large backyard and an in house washer/dryer. The first was a problem with almost all places we could afford, and second is something we're going to remedy with some construction in the next few months. But all in all, we feel like we got a fantastic place.

[garote]

I always feel my best in a light drizzle. :) The body-cooling temperature combined with the dry-yet-dampening air makes me feel like running around.

My job is turning almost entirely into I.T. work - "fix this server" "fix this computer" "troubleshoot this network problem" "implement a backup/virus scan/filesharing protocol", blah blah. I've become very good at it, but it's not the skillset I want to develop. I'd rather move more towards programming and application development, because the problems there are more complex and more suitable to co-development. I'm tired of working as a team of one - being the guy with all the answers, absorbing all the blame.

[robocowboy.livejournal.com]

I always feel my best in a light drizzle. :)

Exactly! I find cool air envigorating, and it definitely makes me feel like running around.


"fix this server" "fix this computer" "troubleshoot this network problem"

That's almost exactly where I was at Cal Poly, except it also included electronics support. I got really sick of computer support because after I learned how to do it, there was no challenge. I don't really want to be a computer support expert.

Of course, the electronics side of the job was great because I do want to be an electronics expert. It was a good job, but there was no room to grow and my cowerker was an ISTJ. INTP + ISTJ = >:[

When the ISTJ gets involved in a disagreement over a point, they usually begin to attempt to recruit the other person over to their own point of view, fully believing that they are right, and that the other individual simply needs to understand the facts of the situation.

Imagine sharing an office with that for almost FOUR YEARS!


Good luck with whatever you decide on.

[garote]

Hoo-hah.
Yeah, that's the situation I'm in here ... I know how to do just about all of it, and the bits I don't know how to do are bits I don't feel like learning. Plus, there's no room to grow - my pay rate can't get any higher, and my job can't get any more interesting.

That's why I'm studying up on Cocoa and the OS X AppKit. With those, I can do something useful!