Moving to dixie

Dispatcher · 06-11-2008, 09:15 PM

In three weeks I am moving from Maryland to Georgia.
My older brother (and you thought I was old) offered me a job of caretaker of his estate (take note: it pays to have a rich brother).
Ok, he's not really rich, but he does own a few houses on a lake that he rents out to vacationers.
It's a real serene place. And I get a motorhome to live in to boot.
It is also a kind of therapy for my depression.
I am also packing lighter and smarter.
Today I traded in my electric guitar, amp, fx processor, and mike for a nice acoustic guitar.
And since I won't be living that far from Macon, Georgia, I have started a checklist of things I will need to blend in down there.
1. Sheet music for "Dueling Banjos".....check
2. Pick up truck with gun rack and Confederate flag....check
3. Deer antler hood ornament.............check
4. "I brake for beer" bumper sticker......check
5. Sign that says "Don't shoot, technically I'm not a yankee"....check
6. Sign that says "We won...get over it"........oops, wrong sign
7. Antidepressants, a road map, and directions......check

And remember....only 493 miles more to Pedro's South of the Border.
(if you've never driven down I-95, you won't get that joke)

thewise1 · 06-12-2008, 03:48 PM

I took this pic when I was in Georgia recently

However, I do love it there for the most part. Everyone is so nice.

motivez · 06-12-2008, 03:59 PM

Man, some of the places out here really do remind me of Deliverance. I was driving up on the Blue Ridge Parkway a few months ago when my Aunt and Grandmother were up here, we were going to some of the vineyards to get wine.. and while everyone we met was extremely friendly, it really is back country out there

motivez · 06-12-2008, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

I took this pic when I was in Georgia recently

However, I do love it there for the most part. Everyone is so nice.

Yeah, I remember when I moved up here from Dallas.. I remember asking someone for directions as we were returning a movie to Blockbuster..

Instead of blowing us off or being a dick like is common back in Dallas, the guy actually said "Sure! Follow me." and drove for a few miles to show us how to get to the road we were looking for.

thewise1 · 06-12-2008, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Yeah, I remember when I moved up here from Dallas.. I remember asking someone for directions as we were returning a movie to Blockbuster..

Instead of blowing us off or being a dick like is common back in Dallas, the guy actually said "Sure! Follow me." and drove for a few miles to show us how to get to the road we were looking for.

Everyone treated my daughter Olivia so nice there. They had nothing but kind things to say about her, whereas here in Seattle we often - and I mean like several times a week - have people asking us questions like "So did you do drugs?" to my wife, or "if you knew she was going to be missing the arm, why didn't you abort and try again?" or other such rude discussion. Completely out of the blue strangers.

It's enough to make me want to move down there.

Dispatcher · 06-12-2008, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

Everyone treated my daughter Olivia so nice there. They had nothing but kind things to say about her, whereas here in Seattle we often - and I mean like several times a week - have people asking us questions like "So did you do drugs?" to my wife, or "if you knew she was going to be missing the arm, why didn't you abort and try again?" or other such rude discussion. Completely out of the blue strangers.

It's enough to make me want to move down there.

Yeah, I like to joke about the South, having been born in Delaware, but I spent a year in Alabama, and spent a lot of time in Georgia and Florida back in the '70s. I always liked the people.

Ardentfrost · 06-13-2008, 12:18 PM

I, of course, live in Atlanta... and I love it down here. I now commute 35 miles to work on the interstate and it really isn't that bad. I-285 (the perimeter) is just kinda notorious and generally has the majority of problems during rush hours.

Dispatcher, you moving to the Macon area? That's not too far south of Atlanta, but far enough to give you a completely different experience. The city of Macon isn't really THAT big... Drive a few miles down the interstate and you've passed it.

It is where I-16 starts which gives you a straight shot to Savannah if you were so inclined. Savannah is an awesome town to visit. The drive down I-16 is boring as hell though (just to warn you).

motivez · 06-13-2008, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

Everyone treated my daughter Olivia so nice there. They had nothing but kind things to say about her, whereas here in Seattle we often - and I mean like several times a week - have people asking us questions like "So did you do drugs?" to my wife, or "if you knew she was going to be missing the arm, why didn't you abort and try again?" or other such rude discussion. Completely out of the blue strangers.

It's enough to make me want to move down there.

I can't imagine anyone saying something like that to a perfect stranger. Honestly, if someone said something like that to me that I didn't know, I'd punch them in the nose.

Dispatcher · 06-13-2008, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

I, of course, live in Atlanta... and I love it down here. I now commute 35 miles to work on the interstate and it really isn't that bad. I-285 (the perimeter) is just kinda notorious and generally has the majority of problems during rush hours.

Dispatcher, you moving to the Macon area? That's not too far south of Atlanta, but far enough to give you a completely different experience. The city of Macon isn't really THAT big... Drive a few miles down the interstate and you've passed it.

It is where I-16 starts which gives you a straight shot to Savannah if you were so inclined. Savannah is an awesome town to visit. The drive down I-16 is boring as hell though (just to warn you).

The actual town I am moving to is Eatonton. But if ya know the area, you know I won't be far from Macon or Augusta.

Ardentfrost · 06-14-2008, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Dispatcher

The actual town I am moving to is Eatonton. But if ya know the area, you know I won't be far from Macon or Augusta.

Oh, you're actually about equally near Atlanta, Augusta, and Macon.

What you're really close to is Madison which is where I stop and eat or fill up everytime I go home to Augusta.

Dispatcher · 06-14-2008, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Oh, you're actually about equally near Atlanta, Augusta, and Macon.

What you're really close to is Madison which is where I stop and eat or fill up everytime I go home to Augusta.

Small world, huh?

Stylerod · 06-14-2008, 03:54 PM

I'm originally from the Chicago Suburbs. I lived there my first 21 years and the other 22 years in NC. I love it here. I would never, ever move back.

thatguyoverthere · 06-14-2008, 04:33 PM

Welcome to Georgia! I live a little west of Atlanta. Luckily, I don't meet too many rednecks, even living in ultraconservative Cobb county (remember us? we tried to put disclaimers on school textbooks that mentioned evolution!)

The only real difference IMHO is that in the south you have to greet people as they pass you on the street, and hold open doors for people. It was so weird visiting New York and New Jersey, where you can walk around and never speak or even make eye contact with strangers. Rush hour traffic sucks on 285, but being in Macon you probably won't have to deal with that too much.

Liberty Lounge party at South Of The Border, anyone?

motivez · 06-16-2008, 04:16 AM

Watch out for Atlanta drivers. They're the craziest bunch of people from here to Dallas for sure