A Few Things I am Going to Miss

#1 thing I will NOT miss when I move to NC.....the state of New Jersey.  I imagine that my stress level will drop significantly once I move because I won't have to sit in traffic on route 295 or route 42 any longer.  And I won't be paying absurd property taxes to NJ to pay for the dumb things that politicians have done in the past in the name of "reform."  (or nepotism...depending on how you look at it).  Don't get me wrong...this has been my home for 10 years and I will reflect someday on all the fond memories I have...

But I digress...

I was pondering my next blog post on my way to work this morning and all that I could think about was a few of the things I will miss when we move.  I'm not talking about people, because inevitably the one person I forget to mention will read this post and get offended and then there's probably someone who thinks I will miss them but I won't and that will just be messy...so I'll stick to the "things" that can't send me nasty emails or won't be bothered as to why I left it off the list.  Some things that came to mind seemed so trivial and others gave me pause to consider if something I'd miss could end up being a "deal-breaker."  Would I back out of this move because of a "thing"?

Baseball - I already have issues being outside of the Boston area when baseball season rolls around.  Being near Philadelphia helps things somewhat because they're playing well and they are definitely my "second" team.  Most nights of the week I can find a Phillies game and an occassional Red Sox game on one channel or another.  I get to talk with people at work who are avid baseball fans and I am invited to games from time to time.  3 days every season the Red Sox come to Philly and I try to see as much of that series as I can.  But in North Carolina, this will all come to an end.  When spring training is going full force and teams are prepping for opening day, all I will hear on the radio or watch on the sports update at night will be about college basketball.  Regional baseball coverage?  Forgetaboutit...The nearest ML stadium is in Atlanta (5 Hour drive) and the next is Cincinnatti (6 hours).  Seriously, how am I going to handle this?

The City - I don't work in The City.  I don't even spend much time in The City.  But knowing it's there any time I want is quite comforting.  The City is full of good restaurants and there's always an orchestra or musical or concert going on at various venues.  And have I mentioned baseball?  The City has baseball and basketball and football and now even...soccer.  I will miss The City when I move and will have to find new forms of entertainment and things to do with the family on any given Saturday.  I am reminded of a scene from the movie Tommy Boy where Rob Lowe asks Chris Farley (aka Tommy) what kinds of things there are to do for excitement in Sandusky, Ohio.  The top things on the list include late night pitch & putt, cruising the livestock auction for 4H babes, and the event of choice...cow tipping.  ("Hey Chucko...that doesn't smell like mud!")  Is this what is to become of me?  Will I drag my friends to tractor pulls or rodeos when they come to visit?  Will a date with my wife include a fine dining experience at the Waffle House and a trip to the local zoo (fenced in area with deer and squirrels)?  I'm sure there are plenty of fun things to do in and around Boone, NC - but it's just not the same as a short trip to The City to be serenaded by budding opera singers at dinner and a little Gilbert and Sullivan at the theatre down the street.

Boardwalk Fries - I'm not much of a "shore" person.  I've always preferred the cool mountain air and the quiet solitude of a cabin on a lake to a hot, sweaty, crowded and sandy day at the beach.  The saving grace for me here in NJ is the boardwalk, specifically the one we frequent in Ocean City.  I could spend the whole day walking back and forth along the length of the boardwalk.  There are places for shade to sit and watch people and of course I have to consider the benefits of all that walking.  Well, at least until I buy a huge bucket o' boardwalk fries.  Stroll on the beach?  Nah.  Building sandcastles?  Not really.  Taking a swim in the ocean?  No thanks.  Huge bucket of fries that'll most likely clog an artery or two at some point in the future?  Yes please!! 

I'm not picking on North Carolina...we love it down there.  As with any move like this, things are going to change...but that doesn't mean I can't "miss" those things.  Perhaps my next post will be about all the great things about the mountains of North Carolina...I better get caught up on my college basketball and learn to like (swallowing hard)...country music...

...but I'm not sure how to beat watching a baseball game in The City while eating a big bucket of boardwalk fries!