Why are all our friends leaving us??
We're the type of people who prefer to keep a small group of close friends (and a smaller group of enemies). So when three of them announce that they are fleeing the Big Apple it's a crippling blow to our social life. Do you think Oodgie and I want to talk to each other all the time?
Whenever this happens it gets me musing about leaving New York myself. I'm not from here, so I remember what it's like to drive a car and buy groceries in aisles wider than a quark. We have one friend who teases us with real estate listings of affordable houses seven-times the size of our own. But her efforts are completely negated by their location New Jersey. Other friends are scattered around the country in cities that are either too cold, too obnoxious, or too close to my parents. (Check the comments for a rebuttal from my mom in five...four...three...two...one...now!) We still have a handful of (mostly unwed) friends in the city, but for the most part this latest exodus will leave us with five plants and the remnants of Oodgie's mother support group to talk to.
We're not going anywhere anytime soon, though. New York may not be the most affordable city in the world, but it could be worse, and we like it here. Besides, ECG would chain herself to our moving truck if we were to even consider it. And although we're willing to take a trip every once in a while, we're definitely taking local applications for new friends. Racists need not apply.
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Dude - you can always come up our way. 90 minutes from the city (give or take). And, actual lawns and real trees and clean air.
Posted by: Mr. Big Dubya | April 10, 2007 at 12:52 PM
I live in the burbs and I don't have any friends either. I think it is my caustic whit that sent them all packing. Or the fact that I am in bed by 9:30pm every night.
Posted by: Peter | April 10, 2007 at 01:18 PM
I live in the suburbs - not the New York suburbs, but it's not so bad.
I think my neighbors are moving soon if you guys are interested. We have beer.
Posted by: Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah | April 10, 2007 at 01:32 PM
I wouldn't want to "disappoint" you, but closer doesn't necessarily mean we'd be around that often. We do have other interests (boring though they may appear), but you would have another baby-sitter at least within a few hours drive or fly. We might even get to see you on a holiday.
Posted by: WCG | April 10, 2007 at 07:35 PM
What did Peter call me?
Posted by: whit | April 10, 2007 at 08:27 PM
Same thing happened to me in DC.
Damn best friend moved to NYC. Of course, she's already made the leap to the NJ suburbs for the kids and all.
Posted by: MammaLoves | April 10, 2007 at 09:09 PM
He he he...smooth.
Posted by: TheOtherCW | April 11, 2007 at 05:42 AM
Caustic. No offense meant, lord knows I can't afford to piss off another person. Well maybe I can.
Posted by: Peter | April 11, 2007 at 11:19 AM
I'll be in New York tonight... but I suppose long distance friends aren't going to solve your problem.
Posted by: Oh, The Joys | April 11, 2007 at 12:25 PM
Man.....I think mom just burned you. If you think about it, you actually live about as far away from us as you can get and still be in the country.
At least if you move closer you won't be in udder shock everytime you see us and realize that we aren't in High School anymore.....LOL ;)
Posted by: WestCoastBrother2 | April 11, 2007 at 05:43 PM
We've lost quite a few of our peeps over the years. It's tough. Some we only get to see when we travel back to Ohio. One does manage to get back out here every once in a while, so that's nice.
What I find amazing is that more out-of-town friends have not come to visit us over the years. It's not like we live at the South Pole...
Posted by: L.A. Daddy | April 11, 2007 at 06:06 PM
I really do understand how you feel, although my husband and I are always the ones moving. This making new friends crap really sucks and the only people we have met here (our neighbors) are actually stalking us. We are praying the husband gets a job he interviewed for in DC or we are screwed.
While I love that we can afford a halfway decent house here in Bthlehem, I do have to say I miss New Jersey. And Cincinnati. And Pittsburgh. Sigh.
Posted by: misfithausfrau | April 11, 2007 at 07:50 PM
TW, Dog... believe me dude, we're not leaving NYC so much as grabbing the brass ring and the keys to the kingdom. At least it's SF and not, well, Dubuque Iowa. Or, NJ. Trust me, we would both have loved to stay in NYC forever, I mean it is really our home. But, we just think of this as the big go-make-some-cash-and stockpile-for-the-Villa adventure. And, we're holding onto the pad here so that's not total abandonment, right? sniff, sniff.
Posted by: Hud | April 11, 2007 at 08:21 PM
That Triumph video is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I have to send it to my assistant who- no lie- has a "Mrs. Bon Jovi" keychain.
Boston is a lovely place to live and raise a family. Rumor has it that Oodgie has family not too far from us ;)
Posted by: Kara | April 11, 2007 at 10:03 PM
Oh, snap! Marc totally burned you! I can smell the smoke from here!
Posted by: TheOtherCW | April 12, 2007 at 08:13 AM
To my beloved family,
If that constitutes a "burn" when why do I feel no heat? Did the phrase "Oh, snap!" just make it to that part of the country? How about the Spice Girls...have they made it out your way yet?
And I'm looking forward to expressing cow-nipple shock next time I see you, WCB2. I wonder what that will feel like...
Posted by: croutonboy | April 12, 2007 at 08:52 AM
I don't know if we're counted among this group but at this rate our apartment will never sell and we'll never move. If that's any consolation.
Posted by: Mom101 | April 14, 2007 at 09:01 PM
Well dude if you ever have the time to get together we'd be happy to do so.
Posted by: Phat Daddy | April 15, 2007 at 07:21 PM