Constitution Score

Here it is, The Heathernet, now based in Groton, Connecticut. Let me give you the breakdown:

Pros:

• No more traveling to see Michelle – This is probably the big win and the big reason I’m out here. It was one and a half gas tanks and six hours of driving every time we wanted to see each other. This wasn’t in our plan six months ago and it certainly didn’t seem possible one year ago. (Ahem, okay, 355 days ago.) You go to the place where your needs and the world’s needs can be met the best. Obviously we suddenly had to take a traditionally huge symbolic step to do this. We’ve taken it on good faith for the same reason. We didn’t plan this but everything happens for a reason.
• I moved out of my parent’s house - For reals this time. It’s about time and at the same time… sad timing. I managed to move out on the exact same day that mom packed up her car for that place that I’d normally be heading around this time of year, Camp Fowler. For months it looked like this would be the summer of Heath, Dad, the Xbox, and baseball. I was looking forward to it. Wait, these are supposed to be pros, right?
• Baseball! - Yeah, that last item on above list? Still true! I’m in New England! Where I wanted to start my adult life anyways. It’s all for silly reasons, but baseball is on my TV every night, people say “Idea(r)” and  the o’s in “room” the way you say the o’s in “book” (Doesn’t that make sense?) and the rivers flow with Dunkin’ Donuts. Ok, I made the last one up. But, Fenway is an hour and a half to the north, McCoy Stadium about forty five minutes, and Dodd stadium is within a half hour. That’s three tiers of delicious live baseball.

Cons:

• I still work at Target - This whole move was made possible by me finding a job out here. I had half heartedly been searching but since moving wasn’t seriously in our plan yet and all there is out here is retail jobs moving just seemed like a wishful thinking. Why leave something bad for something worse? Gaining Michelleness and having the career situation stay exactly the same, however, is a decent deal. Of all things this was made possible by baseball. I was out here scouting Dodd Stadium, the site of the boy’s Spring Baseball Trip 2009, when I spotted something not usually that pleasant to see on my day off. A Target bullseye. The bullseye placard was across from the stadium in the business park the field calls home. It pleaded to me to, “See myself there.” I investigated further, to find a totally unmarked office building save for giant red “Now Hiring” banners adorning it. It was unsettling. Michelle and I checked the job searches and sure enough, a new Target was being built and hiring. I put in for a transfer and a promotion. Team Lead positions were already filled by the time I interviewed, so they say, but the new store seemed very excited to have me. Supposedly, I start building the new store’s innards on Thursday. I’ve had very little to go on except for a couple e-mails and the fact that I don’t work at Niskayuna anymore, and well, here I am in Connecticut!
• It’s expensive here – Michelle and I aren’t married (Ha! Jokes!) to the state of Connecticut. We’re excited to be together, have our place, and get to explore the really positive opportunities of this part of the country. Houses are expensive, cars are expensive, renting is expensive and when you’re trying to get your life started and pay off your loans it just doesn’t make planning that much fun. Vinnie the Stratus needs replacing and reliable cars in my price range were built and have the same mileage that he does. That’s obnoxious. Plus, I’m going to miss you. Yes, you.

Conclusion:

I kid, there is no conclusion. This is just a lot of stuff I’ve been working on that hasn’t made it to the computer keyboard and onto the blog. Is this a real solid breakdown of all the great, awesome, and difficult things that came with moving in with Michelle to a whole other state? No way. Life has way more subtleties than that. It is, however, more than you knew before… and I owe you that much.