We just got back from spending a week (vacation) seeing some friends in Northern California. We spent the week hanging out at their house, panning for Gold, and hangin out on the Delta near Sacremento enjoying their 60 foot house boat and 24 ft speed boat.

Being that I live in Twin Cities, I thought it would be fun to post a few lines about some things that really stood out for me as being different between here and there:

1 - Gas prices! Give me a break! $4.60 for gas and $5.25 for diesel...$3.85 back here.

2 - Property taxes! Another wierd situation. Because of Proposition forty something, my buddies $1.3M house only runs him $3500 per year in taxes, while the ******* that lives across the street from him and paid $1.1M for his house, pays $11k in taxes because he bought he house last year. Wanna screw-up the housing market? Create a situation where peopel can't afford to move because they lived in their houses too long.

3 - Cheap labor. I don't think anyone does any work of their own out there due to cheap labor (ie...immagrants). My buddy does not cut his grass, pull weeds, clean his pool, clean his house because their is always some illegal who will do it for cheap. Funny though, he is 100% conservative Republican and against illegal immagration....go figure.

4 - Boating....hum....something I am expert at. Give me a nice, big fresh-water lake in the Midwest with water so clear that you can see 35 feet down anyday over that crappy Delta. Holy ****....I can't believe people put boats on that thing. I am not sure what is worse. The green water full of fertilizer from all the farms that the delta runs through, the narrow-*** passages, or the shitty current that makes it impossible to swim in. Anybody else here boat on this thing?

5 - Weather. OK...it is hot as hell in the summer. Temps were near and over 100 every day and everything is dry, brown and dusty. Sure, winters here are cold as hell, but those summer are hot.

 

Did you see any new oil rigs off the coast?

 

Sounds like you had a good time. I dont want to start no **** but you could'nt run fast eough to get me to move to Cali. I had always hear this and that about the place and I went in 2001 for business. I was like what the hell is all the hype about? Flew into John Wayne airport and all I seen for three days was traffic, as far as the eye could see. Maybe NorCal is different but I wasn't impressed.

Its a different world !!

 

oh and you forgot....

6. NorCal has the greenest (sometimes blue sometimes purple), dankest, most amazing weed you will ever smoke...or eat!!!!
Gotta love Prop 215!!! I know I do. Humboldt County FTW!!!

 

Yeah....we had a great time to be honest and I have been to NorCal a few times and used to live in San Diego. I feel pretty familiar with the state. Could I live there again? Sure, but the situation would have to be perfect....no different then any other place.

 

Lol I was in...LA today for a car show...ya..thats a hellhole and a half..everyone wanted ot cruise sunset blvd to beverly hills to the PCH...HUGE MISTAKE... to go maybe..10 miles took 2 hours...

Gas prices stay high here.. but in LA I paid..4.55 for 91..that made me happy..i guess..

Housing market is jacked..alot of homes going up for sale..

And..mowing the grass? Isn't that what we have mexicans for? (not actually racist its how some people around here think.. my family is from texas/oaklahoma...we believe in our own yard work, still.)

Along with other labor...ya..pisses me off a guy wants to try to do a skilled trade for minimum wage..

And..water sucks, you know that, you lived in SD, lol...

BTW...in San Diego County..those huge...well..***** sitting near/on the water in the ocean..WTF are those... i wanted to say it was a powerplant but i'm having doubts..

 

I live in Norcal and even I don't go to the Delta. It's a piece of **** and all the spoiled kids who live on the water hang out there and drive their parents boats all around and party everyday. If you want to go to a nice lake in Norcal, you gotta go to Lake Berryesa, Shasta, or even Don Pedro. Usually it's pretty green around here, but it has been hot and all the fires going on it's looking pretty crappy. I still wouldn't move.

 

personally i never liked any part of sac. way too f'ng hot in the summer and all of the illegal's that live out there. i never made my way up to the delta but just the name of it should give you an idea of the currents and shitty water that flows through there. man, i cant wait to move back to that shitty state. i miss it more and more everyday...only 4-5 more months till i find out where i will be stationed next can be anywhere from washington state, cali or arizona (tucson!)

 

1. Yes, gas prices are crazy high out here. One of the reasons is the state and local taxes tacked onto the already inflated prices.

2.Property taxes....yeah, it's crazy here. I'm not sure if you are refering to prop 13 or another prop? My parents house is under Prop 13, which basically means they pay hardly anything for property taxes, but if they were to sell their house and buy a new house they would pay the current property tax level, which pretty much prevents them from moving like you mentioned.

3. I'm with you and 00blkstanggt on the Delta issue. It's an absolute **** hole. I wouldn't even put my pinky finger is that nasty water. You gotta try to get up further north to some of the big fresh water lakes like Trinity, Shasta, Whiskeytown ect..... The real Northern California starts when you get up to the Redding area. That would probably be more your style.

4. Weather, yeah it was hot during that week. Now it's cooled down a bit. I cant deny the summers are hot unless you live close to the Bay and then it's about perfect. I lived in Hayward and San Leandro for almost 4 years and the two places I lived didn't have air conditioning cause you never needed it.

Glad you were able to get out to Cali and enjoy yourself

 

Going to Cali in August for two week looking forward going to the bay area"i want to try the medical weed"

 

Where are you going to be when you come out?

 

you just can't go pick up some "medical weed'. Yes, we have medical marijuana dispensaries in the East Bay and SF, but you have to first get a doctor to give you a "recommendation", it's not a perscription. Then I believe you have to pay a fee for a card....not sure if the State reviews the reason for the "recommendation", but they might. Then you can go get medical weed. You can't just walk up and say I have a headache and get some purple cush. ha ha ha ha.

I've been on tours of the dispensaries and what an Fing joke. About 1/4 of the people who have the cards really need it, the other portion are just fing pot heads who went to some lame doctor.

I'll give you some advice if you really want a card. Find the "Pot Doc" in Berkeley, tell him you have migraine headaches and the only thing that helps is smoking weed. You'll get your recommendation, but not sure how long it takes to get a card. You might also need to be a resident of our county as well.

 

yeah you have to be a resident! I'll tell you though.....most of the guys around the bay area have pretty close to medical if not the real thing. Most of the stuff from the dispensaries, alot of the dealers can grow on their own. If you find a guy...try the AK-47, Sour Diesel, Alaskan Thunderfuck and the Frankenberry!!! Good stuff!!! not that I would know or anything...... lol

but back on topic.....

I actually love NorCal. I mean I don't think i'd live there but I like the Bay Area a lot. It has amazing scenery and a lot of character. I don't think I could afford to live there at the moment though. Prices around there are sky high