Cost of Living

I've been going on walks for the past several days now, as the sun is finally shining and even the evenings are a nice 60-ish degrees lately. On most of those walks, we've passed the same house-for-rent near our apartment complex and have gazed upon it longingly. It's a newer looking corner house in a nice, quiet neighborhood, with a fenced-in yard, a 2-car attached garage, and a fireplace. But if the rent is anything like the other houses in Santa Maria, it'd be $1500-$1600 per month ... (side note: most house rental prices here include a gardener - what's up with that?). If we ever decide to rent a house, we know we're in for at least $1400/month or so for rent ... (side note: the alternative of buying a house would cost twice that for a mortgage payment). Kinda crazy how that amount seemed insurmountable, unbelievable, completely out of the question in Milwaukee ... yet totally normal and acceptable (for the right place) here in CA. Ugh! Well, I like apartment living anyway :)

Ok, some random tidbits to complete my pointless post ... I had yesterday off of work for Martin Luther King Day (what did you do to celebrate? hehe) ... and today was the busiest day for me so far at work, but I was glad b/c the time went by much more quickly than in the past. I called the Family Feud line the other day to get my family's name in for an audition for next season (starting in August). Although I totally don't expect a call back, how cool would it be to try out for that show! In addition to Family Feud, some other shows I really like include 24 (this is the first season I've ever seen, but now I'm hooked), the Apprentice (not looking forward to the next season as much as the last 2 though), reruns of Drew's Whose Line is it Anyway, and the Biggest Loser (yes, I know, I'm pathetic).

Well, no other news (if you can even call what I wrote above "news"); just trying to keep anyone who cares up to date.