the topic of the week

Here in the Khan-zuchowski household we've been talking alot lately about moving/rent/house buying etc etc...

The current situation is this:
Iffy has an application out in Northern NM (where we would like to be). When this certain position was first announced we thought it would not be a required occupancy position and we would be able to buy a house. Turns out this is not the case. There is housing available and required of the person who gets this job. Heres the kicker, a 3 bedroom house is 1000 a month. That is just crazy talk. So if he gets the job we're gonna have to do a two bedroom, and if all they have is a three bedroom, then we're going to have to let the job go. Likewise if all they have is the 2 Bedroom without heat in one of the bedrooms, we're gonna let it go as well. Why does a house like that even exist??

It would suck so much to downgrade to a 2 bedroom, but we just cannot afford 1000 a month. I don't know whose brilliant idea it was to base the park housing rent on the local housing market, but it is so stupidly infuriating. That's my opinion. A GS-09 park ranger does not make anywhere near what the local richies do that allow them to live in beautiful scenic areas such as the area in question. So basically the park service is forcing you to live in the park and pay rent that you can not afford. It is ridiculous.

I fully realize that we are living in la la land over here paying 400/mo rent. I KNOW this is not normal. I get it. But we can not do 1000. Well, we COULD do it, but there would be little to no money left for anything else, we would probably have to cut back on what we save every month (i.e frivolous things like money for an eventual house purchase and college for the kids) Credit cards would probably start getting used too much, and it would just be hard. There's no reason to do that, it's not worth it.

We've been tossing around the idea of applying for a job in Arkansas, but we keep changing our minds. We would be able to buy a house there, a fair amount of house for not too much money. But we would be so far from our cabin in NM. But then, if we had a house, would the cabin be as important? Aside from it being awesome, we love the cabin because it is ours. If we had a house, that would not be as big a deal maybe. Besides, I just don't know that I am a southern type of person. I like the southwest.

We are also toying with the idea of switching agencies and going over to the BLM or Forest Service. Those jobs are alot fewer and farther between though, but there would be no park to live in.

Anyways, keep your fingers crossed. We should hopefully know within the next few days. It's down to Iffy and one other guy. I am going to really be bummed about this one if we don't get it. It's hard making it to number two. We want number one dammit!! By the way, why does it take the NPS so goddamned long to hire someone??? It's been 5 weeks. Geez, don't they know I want to make travel plans?

Here's your daily dose of cuteness.

Little girl. Big mess.
She was throwing a fit about something or other when I took this picture. I don't mean that she was throwing a fit and threw everything around on the floor. That would not be acceptable. Nope, this is just what my living room looks like on a daily basis.