Cabin Fever

[mole2]

I rode today for 2.5 hours today. It was in the mid 50's and the sun was shining. I ran all my errands and took a little time to ride along the beach - my favorite place to ride. South Carolina does offer all year riding but January/February can get cold. Heck, we even had some snow in December. lol This is also the time of year where I feel most comfortable because I can wear ATGATT which is impossible during the Summer.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Dh, me'n Moedad already belong to such a club - we call it southern california... (81 over the weekend apparently - I'll be biking it to the Gypsy Den tonight.)

I've been to southern Cal a few times. Love the climate. Wouldn't want to live on the San Andreas Fault, though. And I wouldn't want to live in a state that's in as much political/economic trouble as Cal. Being a gun owner, I could never hack the lack of second amendment civil rights compared to NH. So, I'll tolerate the Winters here. Sue and I have looked at moving to all different parts of the country. All in all, with everything considered, we'll stay where we are with the odd vacation somewhere else.

The "Rounders" organization does allow people from southern Cal to be members, but, as you point out, it's kind of meaningless.

[alanmcorcoran]

A serious earthquake might last 18 seconds, but winter is forever. Be better to bitch about fire season, or perhaps mudslides. Not really promoting the state as "gun-friendly", but you can certainly own a gun out here - just can't shoot anything with it. State's been essentially bankrupt for years - never really noticed anything different from when it wasn't, and, the whole country is insolvent anyway. As far as the economy goes, a weak California economy probably has more jobs/GDP than most other states regardless. I'm not very dependent on the local economy, but it does have an effect on home prices. One plus: high unemployment = lower traffic.

It was 78 degrees today, sun shining all day, clear blue sky. When you live where I do, a vacation is generally a downgrade.

[dhgeyer]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

A serious earthquake might last 18 seconds, but winter is forever.

A serious earthquake might last a minute or two, and kill more people and do more damage and cause more misery than every severe Winter we ever had. And, yes, the fires aren't a big selling point for California. But they are really only a symptom of the dryness that limits vegetation, which would bother me more.

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Not really promoting the state as "gun-friendly", but you can certainly own a gun out here - just can't shoot anything with it.

In California you can own certain guns in certain places if you're willing to jump through the hoops, but it would be very difficult to get a carry license, if it were possible at all. Here there is only an instant check to purchase (including handguns). Subject to a background check, issuing officials have two weeks to issue a carry permit or else deny it for certain, specific, codified, and documentable reasons (felon, judged mentally incompetent, restraining order -etc.). It's not discretionary. The police must issue in two weeks. If they don't, the burden of proof is on them. NH is one of a small number of states where there are no additional state restrictions (above federal restrictions) to owning class III weapons (full automatic - machine guns, real assault rifles, submachineguns, etc). That takes a lot of federal paperwork, taxes and fees, but a lot of people here do it. Some of the clubs even put on machine gun shoots and invite the state and local politicians, many of whom come and have a good time. Don't see that sort of thing happening any time soon on the Left Coast. Oh, and our violent crime rate is very low compared to more "liberal" states.

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

State's been essentially bankrupt for years - never really noticed anything different from when it wasn't, and, the whole country is insolvent anyway. As far as the economy goes, a weak California economy probably has more jobs/GDP than most other states regardless. I'm not very dependent on the local economy, but it does have an effect on home prices. One plus: high unemployment = lower traffic.

Spin it any way you want, but California is in much worse shape than NH for all kinds of reasons. I suspect that a lot of it stems from the unprotected border to the south, and subsequent drain on all sorts of resources, increase in drugs and crime, etc.

Sue and I are both retired now, with enough resources to live where we want. The climate is nice in So Cal, I'll admit. But I'd miss the green. My daughter lives out there, and even she comments that the brown most of the year, and the relative lack of trees sometimes bothers her. We only have two or three months here that make riding tough, though some of us still do it. For the rest of the year, I think the overall environment is more pleasant here than there. To each his own, I guess.

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

It was 78 degrees today, sun shining all day, clear blue sky. When you live where I do, a vacation is generally a downgrade.

You definitely have the weather advantage this time of year. The expected highs here for the next few days won't break 20, and the lows will be near or below zero. Then we get another snow storm. I'm thinking about escaping for a week or two. Go south and rent a bike for a while till the worst of it's gone.

[alanmcorcoran]

Yep, just got back from the free lighted tennis courts in our crime infested tremor filled deathtrap, on the Geezer, wearing the mesh jacket over my tennis stuff. Was near 80 when I headed out, got down to a chilly 60ish after it got dark. Riding through the wide, beautifully paved avenues of North Orange County, past the edges of the Cleveland National Forest, to my hovel in the ghetto of "AnaCrime" Hills. Sure wish I could be freezing my ass off back in New Hampshire, perhaps shoveling a little snow and/or fighting off this week's featured flu bug. I could take up drinking again!

Just kidding. To each his own. I did seven winters in Ithaca and seventeen years in New Jersey. The Beach Boys had it right - Endless Summer. Now, if we could only get them to tilt the planet so it doesn't get dark so damn early in Dec and Jan.

[dhgeyer]

Well, Alan, it looks like I'm not gonna' talk you into moving here, and I sure as Hell would never live there, so, like you said - to each his own.

[Water Warrior 2]

All that and tilt the Earth. Alan what do you consider early dark in December ?

[burkbuilds]

I too long for more sunlight these days. In Atlanta I leave for work about 6:30AM and it's dark, and when I get off at 6:00PM it's dusk. Ready for longer days when it's light by 6 and stays that way until after 9 at night. It's kinda ironic that in the Winter,(in the Northern Hemisphere) the further North you go the colder it gets but it stays light longer and the further South you go it gets warmer but less daylight hours. Maybe one of your big California earthquakes can shake the earth's tilt a little and improve that situation. lol

[Water Warrior 2]

BB, you had a blonde moment there. In winter the further North the colder AND darker it gets. Summer is when it is warm and the daylight hours are longest. Twilight on the Canadian Prairies during Summer is a wonderful time. The light just slowly fades over a period of hours.

[alanmcorcoran]

WW,

We have that stupid "Daylight Savings Time" crap down here. Which really should be called, "Shift the Light to the Time Where You Dont Give a Shit Time." Unless you are a morning jogger or something. I'm generally a 9am or later riser so that early light is wasted on me. It's dark just before 5pm for most of Dec and Jan. Just starting to come out of it now.

DH, I think the ideal solution is as you hinted: live in two places. I do that now (here and chicago) but, let's face it, Chicago has shit weather for about 8 out of twelve months.

You are probably not familiar with Guerneville, CA, but, if i was single and could live my life over, I'd probably live there. Not much for guns I don't think, but a beautiful place filled with hippies and artists with relatively mild weather. Look up the Russina River area when you are snowed in. Oh, and some of the most fantastic motorcyling raods available anywhere.