Tuesday, February 3, 2009

What to do, what to do

So ...the Caribbean is calling my name. Unfortunately, it's not, however, calling Monk's.

On Sunday, Monk was going to be pre-occupied with a boys only Superbowl party ...and I'm not much for football...so I cajoled the teenager into driving to Ann Arbor with me. Getting off the exit into downtown, I realized that I felt like I was driving home. You know the feeling most people get when they turn in their neighborhood ...or down the street? Yep. That's what I feel when I go to Ann Arbor. The only problem is that I haven't lived there ..in oh ...almost 14 years now. I know it sounds dramatic - but I swear my soul feels at peace when I'm there. Very similar to the feeling I get when I'm at the ocean. Any ocean. We had a really wonderful day. Lunch at one of my very favorite vegetarian restaurants. An afternoon of shopping in the downtown area. A stop at Whole Foods market. A quick visit with a cousin and an old friend. A stop at what could conceivably be the best deli in the state of Michigan for dinner at home.

The good day there left me thinking about how much I really don't enjoy living where I do. My family is here. Monk's family is here ...but umm...that's about it. No culture. Nothing but generic malls for shopping. Nothing but chain restaurants that are boring and repetitive. I need more than what this place has to offer.

Monk doesn't. So umm...where do you go with that?

The Caribbean as a compromise? He won't even consider it. Financially, it would be one of the best decisions that I will ever run across. With the salary increase and no taxes, we could easily save over $100,000 per year ...if Monk didn't work. I would have 4 relatively easy 8 hour days per week - no call. Dealing with what would essentially be coughs/colds and traveler's diarrhea type of stuff. Easy peasy. Lots of time to bond with the baby and virtually no stress when I'm not working. I called and let them know about the pregnancy and that there would be no way that I would start until a year from now. They said fine. They offered to fly us all down there for a formal interview and to see the clinic. They would give me four weeks off per year - paid - to volunteer at free clinics in the rural areas. Part of the companies "give back" philosophy. We'd live on the ocean and have enough money/vacation time to fly home for visits 4-5 times per year. I see nothing but perfection. Monk sees nothing but torture and missing his family.

This? Is where falling in love with and marrying your polar opposite starts to feel like not such a good idea.

1 comment:

April said...

maybe you could compromise and move to AA? :) it's just like the ocean.

i am sad that i didn't get to see you while you were here, but we will have to plan a visit for later. i will go get any food with you in this area. that's for sure!!!

thx for the comment on my blog. i seem okay with things. nothing more i can do right now except wait. i have checked our EMR like 10 times today to see if the note is up, but it's not. my RE emailed and said that she would call in the morning whenever she saw ther fert report. i'm really hoping it's good.

i seriously feel like i could have worked this afternoon, no discomfort, nothing. just a little pressure. i've watched a lot of tv. did my 25 random facebook thing. visited with my sis.

...and i have tomorrow off too? last time i needed it, this time i feel great!