That's a good question: what's keeping me stuck in this shithole? (And when the weather is as shitty as it's been lately, I can scarcely contain the wrath and bile, the frustration, and occasional despair.)
Right now I have a secure job at a college, with tenure even. Now, I could start sending out resumes to places where human life is possible without a goddamn moon suit, go to the occasional interview, and finally, perhaps after a few years, get hired somewhere in a tenure-track position, but...
...We have a house, and it's going to be a really bad time to sell for a long while. On the other hand if the place we're moving to in my hypothetical scenario also has a housing market that crashed and burned, maybe it would all even out financially. But...
...Where would Essay work? And what if I want to get into a Ph.D. program for real? In fact, I'd have to wait probably about 7 years to get tenure at another college, so the job security would be lacking and I probably wouldn't want to fool around with getting a higher degree under those circumstances.
Finally, neither of us is keen on moving again after having moved three times in 8 years. Logically I'd get my Ph.D. here first, where there are all sorts of universities, then shove off to happier climes.
But fuck this weather with a rusted lawn aerator anyhow. Makes me want to knock hats off heads, take a pick-axe to every filthy snowman, and hurl Molotov cocktails at every salt truck. Every breath is like pissing razor blades, hands are dry and cracked, and a peck on the cheek sparks a nasty static electric shock. And the zinger: the times when we actually get temperatures a little higher than normal are the times when the rain and blizzards come; so everyone stays shut in their huts to wait it out...for weeks...and months...half a year....
God damn I hate winter.
Okay, I think I'm done now. So things are swell with you in Florida, eh? Don't think I'd consider living in Florida. The desert calls to me, and I'm not fond of hurricanes.
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