|
Post by Kerrick on Jun 20, 2017 10:30:53 GMT -6
Hi all, I would really appreciate your prayers for Veronika and I to find a good home. Our previous place we rented ended up not being very ideal for a few reasons and then our current spot opened up in seemingly providential timing. While it’s quite pretty and a good location, we’re losing a significant amount of sleep due to our extremely loud landlords (who live directly above us), not to mention I’m allergic to something in our apartment (I think mold from this past storm…), it has horrible air circulation, and our landlords have imposed some frustratingly restrictive regulations on firearm storage that render the concept of “home defense” quite useless. I worry about Veronika every day I leave her there to go to work. There are very sketchy people who wander the neighborhood and our apartment is extremely unfortified and would be easy to break into. We have a 15-month lease and if we break it, would need to help find someone good/honest/trustworthy to replace us, but honestly we’d feel quite terrible recommending it to anyone (except maybe a deaf person with high immunity to allergens haha).
Our own health, safety, and sanity is one thing, but we’ll be looking to start a family in the next year or so and unless we absolutely have to due to some wild unforeseen circumstances, raising a kid here is just not an option. Our hope is to purchase a home, but with our income, we cannot afford much more than a glorified outhouse in this area. I believe Santa Cruz is the absolute worst in the entire nation in terms of income/expenses, second possibly only to San Francisco (which is only ~an hour and a half drive away). We’re seriously considering picking up and leaving everything behind to move to another state. My parents – and possibly sister – would most likely follow us which is pretty amazing in itself. Economics are the primary motivating factor, though extreme liberal and anti-Christian politics and crowdedness/traffic factor into it too.
All this has been weighing heavily on both Veronika and I. As husband and head of the household, I feel quite overwhelmed. Thanks all!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 20, 2017 10:47:12 GMT -6
I'll be praying.
I'm biased, but if you're moving to another state, I highly recommend somewhere in the Midwest (particularly Ohio or Indiana) in the suburbs of a decently populated city. The Midwest has (mostly) conservative politics, civilization without awful traffic, affordable housing, and great communities with thriving churches (as long as you don't move into a big city like Chicago or Indianapolis). The suburbs are great.
|
|
|
Post by Bartimaeus on Jun 20, 2017 12:38:03 GMT -6
I will be praying, Kerrick.
I will echo CW and encourage you to consider the midwest if you want to move. I live in Nebraska but have been all over the surrounding areas and you're sure to find friendly people, much less crowding and people more in line with your values. If you value the west coast life, you may consider moving farther north or into Oregon. God bless you!
|
|
|
New Home
Jun 20, 2017 17:04:32 GMT -6
via mobile
_ likes this
Post by exo on Jun 20, 2017 17:04:32 GMT -6
Yeah, Kerrick, you should come to Indiana. Or not. Really, I'm just running my mouth because I live in Indiana, and want more cool friends near me.....
|
|
|
Post by nocturnaliridescence on Jun 20, 2017 18:54:00 GMT -6
Praying, Kerrick!
|
|
|
New Home
Jun 22, 2017 9:50:36 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Thomas Eversole on Jun 22, 2017 9:50:36 GMT -6
Damn. I was really hoping that new place would work out.
I just prayed for you and Veronika's safety, your economical well being, discernment on finding a more ideal place and God to guide you through all of this.
|
|
|
Post by Kerrick on Jun 22, 2017 14:22:31 GMT -6
Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. This spot seemed so ideal at first but it's becoming more and more apparent that this is NOT somewhere we want to be for very long. Unfortunately, we have a 15-month lease (which started in March) so if we do leave soon, we'll have to break the lease which is unfortunate for obvious reasons. Veronika lived in Nebraska when she was a foreign exchange student throughout her high school career and really loved it a lot. She is very close to a family there. Politically, economically, and socially... it'd rank quite high. The thing with the midwest is that the rest of my family (parents and sister) also hope to move with us to the same area and my whole family is very outdoorsy. Of course, that's not the highest prioritized consideration in moving, but moving somewhere with mountains, streams, and the like is something we're really hoping to do. and want more cool friends near me..... You must have pretty low standards for what is considered "cool"...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 22, 2017 14:34:18 GMT -6
my whole family is very outdoorsy. Of course, that's not the highest prioritized consideration in moving, but moving somewhere with mountains, streams, and the like is something we're really hoping to do. Ohio doesn't have mountains, but it does have plenty of hills, streams, and forests. I think Nebraska is flatter.
|
|
|
Post by Thomas Eversole on Jun 22, 2017 20:18:39 GMT -6
I'm guessing the job situation will change if you move out of state. Are you able to still work remotely Kerrick or will you have to get something else?
Working from home is working great for me. I feel like I have more money now that I'm not driving 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back every shift... ...but, I don't get out much.
Church is across the street. My meeting I go to, again, across the street.
Please pray for me guys, that I don't get too complacent... and that I'm able to adequately prioritize what needs to be done in my life.
|
|
|
Post by Deepfriar on Jun 22, 2017 20:27:12 GMT -6
Before I got to the part of your post that said you would be willing to move to another state, I was already thinking you should move to TN. You can certainly defend your home here, lots of laws protecting gun owners. Texas is the only state that comes close. Here in east TN (Morristown is my specific city) we have lots of woods and mountains for outdoor types, and it's very conservative here politically. Plus, we could go to the shooting range broheim. I currently only own a couple semi-automatic handguns (Sig P320 Compact and Ruger LCP 2 for when carrying in waist band is not feasible, I have lifetime carry permit) but I'm looking to expand my horizons. Maybe you can teach me all about rifles. I've only fired my dad's .22.
I pray you both find a place that will meet your needs and where you can be as happy as possible. May you be sensitive to the guidance of the Lord for He knows what is best always!
|
|
|
Post by _ on Jun 22, 2017 22:16:14 GMT -6
Plus, we could go to the shooting range broheim. I was in TN for a wedding and it was pretty dope. Ten out of ten would go again.
|
|
|
New Home
Jun 23, 2017 7:00:34 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by exo on Jun 23, 2017 7:00:34 GMT -6
Should I ever hit powerball, I will have a summer home in mid Michigan around the Lansing area, and something with acreage in TN.
|
|
|
Post by Thomas Eversole on Jun 23, 2017 11:27:50 GMT -6
Should my wife hit it big in the lotto (which she does play a little), we'd stay put. I'd pay off my car for one, and pay someone to do the stuff around my house instead of my wife and I doing it. (improve the plumbing, painting walls, etc.) ...but I don't see that happening, so I'm not going to count on it.
|
|
|
Post by Kerrick on Jun 23, 2017 15:07:12 GMT -6
Thanks everyone for the continued support and encouragement. I'm guessing the job situation will change if you move out of state. Are you able to still work remotely Kerrick or will you have to get something else? I'll almost certainly need to find a new job. I'm not too worried about that though. I'm right in the middle of that perfect "five to ten year experience" that every other job posting has and I've gained very good and broad experience at my current work. Working remotely would be ideal, though for my line of work, it's not always doable. I'm also not opposed to doing a total career change if I found something good that'd pay the bills. I currently only own a couple semi-automatic handguns (Sig P320 Compact and Ruger LCP 2 for when carrying in waist band is not feasible, I have lifetime carry permit) but I'm looking to expand my horizons. Maybe you can teach me all about rifles. I've only fired my dad's .22. Nice! Unfortunately in Santa Cruz the sheriff doesn't allow anyone to have a permit... I'm really hoping that changes one of these days. Gosh, there are a TON of options for rifles. What would your primary usage for it be? Hunting, target shooting, home defense, good all-around gun...? Depending on what you want... I'd probably suggest starting with an AR-15. There's a reason they're so popular. They're extremely customizable and modular so you can get something that is just right for you. Their caliber is easy to shoot (hardly any recoil) but still is pretty effective. Another very popular option is the Ruger Mini 14 - which I actually just bought one of. They are also semi-automatic and shoot the same caliber as the AR but don't have the scary pistol grip that the AR's do haha. They're great guns. If you want something cheap and just to have fun with, the Ruger 10/22 is a great spot to start. I pray you both find a place that will meet your needs and where you can be as happy as possible. May you be sensitive to the guidance of the Lord for He knows what is best always! Thank you and amen!
|
|
|
Post by Deepfriar on Jun 24, 2017 9:22:24 GMT -6
AR-15 sounds like the winner. I see people at the range with them all the time. Would be target shooting for me all the way. It's pure hobby/sport since I don't eat meat. Definitely a fan of the modular aspect of the AR-15, hence my Sig P320. I see people with AR-15's very often at the range. Thanks for the recommend, bro!
|
|
|
Post by Kerrick on Jun 25, 2017 18:27:59 GMT -6
You bet dude! I bought my AR from these guys: www.rockriverarms.com/I am very happy with mine. However, they were in the news pretty recently about some kinda lame laws that they supported. I don't remember the details but a lot of gun enthusiasts are boycotting them. Just a FYI. A few recommendations: -Get the "flat top" (or "A4") without the carry-handle sight, like what they have here. (Holy dang, that is a really good deal they've got going right now; you might want to jump on that!) You'll want to put some sort of optic on it most likely. I have a 3-9x40 scope on a quick-detach mount. For mid/long range, I've got the scope. For closer up targets, I pop the scope off and flip up a backup iron-sight. For an all-around/target gun, that is a GREAT way to go. Another very popular option is a red-dot sight. Those are super cool (I have a couple other firearms with them) and for ease and speed, you can't do better. -Depending how handy you are with drill presses and mills (or have a friend who is, but that's illegal so don't do it, cough cough), get an 80% lower receiver and finish machining it yourself. No BS paperwork, government tracking, etc. But the big plus is you can make a AR-pistol with it. If you put a short barrel on a lower receiver that's a "rifle," you can get in BIG trouble. It's a nice little loophole that'll probably get closed sooner than later. Consider it. -AR-15s can often be pretty front-heavy. I got the "lightweight" barrel option for which I am very glad I did. It's more balanced and easier to handle. Barrel twist is another thing to look out for. Do a little research before you buy, but I think the 1:9 twist is much more preferable and shoots different weight bullets better. -People love to geek out on their ARs and put all sorts of gadgets on them to make them uber tacticool. That is quite silly. But if you've got cash to blow, why not I guess haha. But I don't know why you would ever need a laser on your rifle, just sayin'. -You can buy ARs fully assembled and ready to go, but depending what you want, you can also build them up yourself. The upper half needs gunsmithing. I haven't messed with that, but if you go with Rock River or someone similar, they build to order with whatever options you like. The lower half you can buy just the metal receiver and then install all the parts into it yourself which is kinda fun. It can be a little cheaper this way and you'll get exactly what you want. It's a good way to go IMO. Well there's some info to chew on anyways. On a related note, I spoke with my landlords and we came to a compromise that I think is pretty acceptable: keep the home defense rifle loaded but action open. Thanks for the prayers; I feel safer knowing that I don't have to unlock a separate box, insert the magazine in the gun, etc.
|
|