but southern california is a bit of a stretch - it's nice and shiny and full of (suddenly dead) celebrities (RIP W.H.), but it is way out of my normal.
Goldsboro: parking as far away from other cars as possible to avoid idiot drivers when shopping at Carlie's IGA for multiple types of pork products (rinds, chitlins, souse, skins, bacon, chops, etc.)
Southern California: sitting on the patio at Whole Foods watching two matching white Range Rovers fight over a parking space while eating an organic banana and reading the Jewish Journal
Goldsboro: a recent hepatitis B outbreak at Tootie Frootie, a sketchy new frozen yogurt establishment next to a Mexican restaurant that doesn't serve Corona (blasphemy!)
Southern California: eating a lavender-lemon gourmet popsicle at a popsicle-only establishment called "Suck It" in a town called "Studio City."
Goldsboro: hoping my dog doesn't eat a dead turtle in the backyard and get sick on my Turkish carpet (again)
Southern California: driving down a single street with two doggie day cares, a 24-hour veterinarian, a U-Wash-Doggie laundropet, two organic dog food stores, and a hound hotel (four diamonds, i'm sure)
Goldsboro: Wal-Marts - 2
Southern California: Wal-Marts - 0
Goldsboro: normal house price - $180K
Southern California (for same house): $1.8 million
nice for a visit, but not sure i could swing it long-term. but, if it gets me out of G-boro, I could give it a try.
Lifestyle envy: The painful and resentful awareness that others, outside of one's current geographic location, enjoy life advantages that may include Wal-mart free grocery shopping, sidewalks/cycling paths (possibly with cafes/other cyclists), non-Jesus-based bookstores, and cultural events not centered solely around the cooking of pork products. This awareness is joined with a strong desire to possess the advantages of those others.
