Utah or bust
Donation protected
My ex is planning on moving to Utah, in June, with our kids in tow. This isn't a case of her trying to shake me off; on the contrary she would like for me to try to make the move at the same time so our two boys (3 & 10) have both parents with them as a constant. Of course, I have to make this trip on my own dime, put my place in Arkansas up for sale, put down deposits on my own place and my own utilities, take some (but not all) of my furniture and belongings with me (as well as the kids' beds and belongings that are at my house), and get myself, my vehicle, my four cats and my lovable but derpy dog from western Arkansas to Lehi, Utah.
This move benefits all of us; the ex is accepting a transfer through her job, but educational opportunities and resources for the boys will be vastly better than they what we'd find in our area, as will job opportunities for me, a tech/creative guy currently stuck in an industrial/manufacturing heavy area with very limited job opportunities. Lehi and the surrounding areas (including Provo and Salt Lake City) is home to offices of such companies as Adobe, Microsoft, and of course Ancestry.com, so despite the sheer terror of a close-your-eyes-and-jump move like this, the opportunity is here for me to find more lucrative work in my chosen field, and to better support and spend time with my kids as a result. (I am already putting in applications in Lehi and its immediate vicinity; I plan to hit the ground with a job waiting for me.)
Anyone who knows me knows that my kids are pretty much why I keep drawing breath. Although we're all no longer intact as a traditional family, the grown-ups involved have decided that, whatever disagreements we have among ourselves, it's really all about the kids at this point: the kids still having both parents, the kids have more opportunities, and our own duty to provide society with two productive, motivated, creative, bright minds who are ready to take on all challenges. In the end, look at things from my perspective - you're not helping me, you're helping them by helping their dad to stay with them wherever they go.
And for that help, whatever help you're able to pitch in, you'll have both their gratitude and mine, more than you'll ever know.
About me: I'm Earl Green, creator and curator of theLogBook.com , one of the oldest sci-fi/space exploration history/classic video game/general-geek-interest sites on the web. I research, write, host and produce its three podcasts, theLogBook.com's Escape Pod , Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 , and Don't Give This Tape To Earl . I've also written four books which expand greatly upon content I originated on the site: VWORP!1 and VWORP!2 (ongoing guides to the BBC's Doctor Who), WARP!1 (a similarly arranged first volume of an ongoing guide to Star Trek), and a popular book of memoirs and random writings, Fatherhood, Fandom, and Fading Out. I also produced, roughly ten years ago, a series of documentary DVDs on the early history of the video game industry (now long out of print).
Much as I'd love to say all these things pay the bills, they don't. I just love writing and publishing and getting to go to conventions and hawk my wares when I can afford to do so. (I'm a past exhibitor in good standing at GlitchCon, Konsplosion, ComiCon-Way, and the Oklahoma Video Game Expo.)
Professionally, I've been a TV writer/editor/producer specializing in news and entertainment promo spots, a voice-over artist, an IT specialist, and, currently, a graphic designer. My favorite creations, however, are my two sons, who I try to raise with compassion, common sense, humor, and the same sense of wonder with which I examine the universe around us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings, as always.
This move benefits all of us; the ex is accepting a transfer through her job, but educational opportunities and resources for the boys will be vastly better than they what we'd find in our area, as will job opportunities for me, a tech/creative guy currently stuck in an industrial/manufacturing heavy area with very limited job opportunities. Lehi and the surrounding areas (including Provo and Salt Lake City) is home to offices of such companies as Adobe, Microsoft, and of course Ancestry.com, so despite the sheer terror of a close-your-eyes-and-jump move like this, the opportunity is here for me to find more lucrative work in my chosen field, and to better support and spend time with my kids as a result. (I am already putting in applications in Lehi and its immediate vicinity; I plan to hit the ground with a job waiting for me.)
Anyone who knows me knows that my kids are pretty much why I keep drawing breath. Although we're all no longer intact as a traditional family, the grown-ups involved have decided that, whatever disagreements we have among ourselves, it's really all about the kids at this point: the kids still having both parents, the kids have more opportunities, and our own duty to provide society with two productive, motivated, creative, bright minds who are ready to take on all challenges. In the end, look at things from my perspective - you're not helping me, you're helping them by helping their dad to stay with them wherever they go.
And for that help, whatever help you're able to pitch in, you'll have both their gratitude and mine, more than you'll ever know.
About me: I'm Earl Green, creator and curator of theLogBook.com , one of the oldest sci-fi/space exploration history/classic video game/general-geek-interest sites on the web. I research, write, host and produce its three podcasts, theLogBook.com's Escape Pod , Select Game: Expanded Memories of the Odyssey2 , and Don't Give This Tape To Earl . I've also written four books which expand greatly upon content I originated on the site: VWORP!1 and VWORP!2 (ongoing guides to the BBC's Doctor Who), WARP!1 (a similarly arranged first volume of an ongoing guide to Star Trek), and a popular book of memoirs and random writings, Fatherhood, Fandom, and Fading Out. I also produced, roughly ten years ago, a series of documentary DVDs on the early history of the video game industry (now long out of print).
Much as I'd love to say all these things pay the bills, they don't. I just love writing and publishing and getting to go to conventions and hawk my wares when I can afford to do so. (I'm a past exhibitor in good standing at GlitchCon, Konsplosion, ComiCon-Way, and the Oklahoma Video Game Expo.)
Professionally, I've been a TV writer/editor/producer specializing in news and entertainment promo spots, a voice-over artist, an IT specialist, and, currently, a graphic designer. My favorite creations, however, are my two sons, who I try to raise with compassion, common sense, humor, and the same sense of wonder with which I examine the universe around us.
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings, as always.
Organizer
Earl Green
Organizer
Alma, AR