(re)Location, (re)Location, (re)Location...

For those of you who don't know me personally (i.e., those of you who landed here out of sheer curiosity when your google search gave you a result that made absolutely no sense), daughterinlawofasillyperson, myself, and the2granddaughtersofasillyperson have moved - to Fargo, ND. While I'll miss the sarcasm involved when professing my love for living as a constituent of Keith Ellison, Amy Klobuchar, and RT Rybak, I am looking forward to actually having a shot at getting an electoral win on any candidate or measure that I endorse on this site.

And, since fantasy football season is in full swing and as such I'm actually watching SportsCenter periodically now, a complete breakdown of Fargo v. Minneapolis seems to be in order. Enjoy.

Traffic: An obvious no-brainer in the Fargo column, but some clarification is necessary, since the contest is closer than you'd think. I've been here permanently for nearly a month, and have yet to feel the need to lay on the horn, mutter profanity at stupid drivers, or even give the 'friendly motorist salute' - amazing, I know. I do need to get used to the idea that courteous drivers occasionally require you to pay more attention than you'd think - case in point, the guy yesterday who apparently was so chivalrous that he decided to eschew his right of way to proceed straight through a green light (in a 40-mph zone) for the young lady who was turning left in front of him. [Correction: when I wrote "have yet to feel the need to lay on the horn...", that actually meant "much less frequently feel the need to lay on the horn..."]. Advantage: Fargo.

Neighbors: Being the introverted sort that I am, I came to find ironic solace in the bustle of the Cities, after I realized that it's possible to be alone even when surrounded by dozens and dozens of people - you just have to blend in and realize that no one's paying any attention to you anyway. So it was a bit of culture shock to move back to smaller-town life and have (a) wave after wave of neighbors stop by to introduce themselves, offering gifts of cupcakes, lawn-mowing duties, bread, and kitchen curios, and (b) some lady who calls nightly, insistent on talking with daughterinlawofasillyperson, who only identifies herself as "on the welcome committee." Advantage: (I really want to say Minneapolis, but that doesn't seem right) Push.

Job: I won't speak for the fetching Mrs., but since I was able to keep my job (I'm a telecommuter now) and my salary, and even finagle an office expense stipend while having the relative luxuries of a 30-second commute, a fair-weather-outdoor-"office", and the option to have the occasional cigar during fair-weather-outdoor-"office" sessions, this one's a no-brainer. Advantage: Fargo.

Red/Blue/Purple: Do I really need to go there? Advantage: Fargo.

Social Life: (a) The only cigar lounge in Fargo is also a young-20-something-frequented bar (it's also curious that in the 2 times I've been there, I haven't seen anyone else go in the walk-in humidor, much less smoke any "real" cigars - a couple of just-turned-21 gents were smoking some flavored Swishers last night [blasphemy]). (b) The most logical place where people meet people who have things in common is at their place of employment, and I now don't really need to open an exterior door in order to get to work. (c) I managed to grow a really, really good crop of reliable and close friends in Minneapolis over the 8 years I lived there - 'nuff said. Advantage: Minneapolis.

Family Life: While every town has its share of issues that parents have to deal with in rearing their kids, (speaking theoretically now since my eldest is not yet 4) it seems to me that smaller towns have fewer places to hide those issues. We're also closer to family (my in-laws are from Grand Forks and my family is in Montana), which makes holiday travel easier (not to mention the greater likelihood of pawning the kids off on the in-laws for a weekend at a time!). Plus, I already sense more of a feeling of local/community pride here in Fargo than I ever did in Minneapolis. Bottom line: maybe it's my roots in growing up in a town of way less than 1,000 people, but I have more optimism for raising my daughters here than in Minneapolis. Advantage: Fargo.

So, when you tally it up, I'm somewhat saddened to leave my adopted home and the life I put together there, but I'm looking forward to starting anew in a place that has a lot of advantages for someone with my personality traits (defects?) and familial situation...