Escape Clauses

Cameron has an escape clause in our adventure in New York City.  We told her when we left Evergreen that we would move to New York City for two years.  If after two years she wants to go back to Colorado to complete high school we would go, but if we love the city we will stay so that she can complete her high school at the much sought after school she has been accepted to.

This may sound like a "whine fest", so if you're not up for it I'll understand you x-ing out now.

Our staying in New York has hinged on two things: one - me getting a job so that we could afford to stay, and two - Cam getting into a high school that would give her a an equal or greater education than her opportunity in Evergreen. I got a job in January after six months of job hunting and Cameron got her acceptance into one of the best high schools in Manhattan. So, now it's February and we are committed to staying until at least June 2013. 

Now the whining begins. 

Living in New York is hard. And it's hard to explain why.  It could be the masses, the cost, and/or the walking.  It's a very physical life with a hell of a lot of personal interaction.  Be direct, but do not touch.

Yesterday, at (employer unnamed), I approached a woman who had the company catalogue in hand. She was a small, older woman with a walker and assisted by a home health aide.  She said she had marked the pages of the items she was interested in and needed help finding them in the store.   I was very busy.  I explained that I would help her as soon as I finished helping another customer.  She shouted that she wanted attention immediately and that I needed to stop being "so cheerful."  Do you know how exhausting it is to live among people who consider "being too cheerful" to be annoying?

We moved here in June.  Cameron has been to Missouri to visit family and she has been to Colorado for winter break.  Jordan has been back to Colorado twice.  Hunter has visited NYC three times and resides in beautiful, Denver, CO.  Jeff has been to Detroit for business purposes three times (OK, it's Detroit, but he's staying in spacious hotel rooms and driving a car). I have been out of the city one weekend up to Woodstock in October with Cam and Jeff.  I'm exhausted.  I would love to see the sky and to sleep in a bed that is not on stilts.

I have been working seven days a week since late January.  I cannot afford to quit my telecommuting job at HRPlus until I know that my job at (un-named employer) is secured. Not to mention the months of unpaid bills that have piled up and need to be paid.  The other night I came home from work and began my telecommuting job.  I was working towards a 13 hour day.  Dinner had not been bought or decided upon. Jeff wanted to go out for dinner.  I said I had too much work ahead of me to take time out for a dinner at a restaurant.  He was frustrated and proclaimed that I was not much of a "mother or wife" working two jobs.

Silence.

Jordan told me that she told him, "Uh mm... Dad, I'm not sure that was the best thing to say to Mom at this point."

I guess I kept at the back of my mind that if Cam did not get into a choice high school we would move back to Evergreen.  With the odds against us and Cam's overall awesomeness in her favor the chances of getting into one of New York's City's prestigious high schools was a toss up.  Cameron's awesomeness prevailed.

After just seven months I'm tired.  My brother is getting married in May in St. Louis and it will be a perfect opportunity to get away. I'm doing everything I can to reach that long weekend get away.

I'm not sure what escape clause I would have written in for myself, but I certainly think I over looked the option when we moved here.

So....