Have truck, will travel

So, the venue has changed and it would be the understatement of a lifetime to say that it was the only thing.

Where to begin... Well, I am no longer in So Cal. We made the trek South East and now live in beautiful state of Tennessee.
There were so many reasons that went into this move. Most were poo pooed by those close to us, mostly out of want to not see us go but still...
We first came to Middle Tennessee to visit a group of friends. It was the first week in May and just absolutely drop dead gorgeous. The weather was perfection and the company even better. We stayed at the Marriott Cool Springs (nice hotel). It was just a great trip. The two things I remember the most vividly was, as we were flying over the airport getting ready to land was how green everything was and all the water ways and how at peace I felt here. Not that any of this was the driving reasons for the move. After a wonderful and very memorable (and more than a little drunk) weekend, Geoff and I went back to our lives in San Diego. Geoff's job was great, the kids were thriving, we were putting the finishing touches on our home and landscaping, all was well. Then devastation struck and we lost a very important figure in our lives. Geoff's father finally succumbed to renal cancer. Life seemed a little off after that. Even then, that's still not the single reason but definitely a marked point.
I think both Geoff and I, even though both of us having lived the bulk of our lives in California, were not natives and in our hearts felt like we needed to be some where else. Well, I know I did...
He had been suggesting that we get the hell out of dodge for years, but places like AZ, and NV (sorry guys but serious *gag*) and TX (that one would be over my dead body!!).
I remember after George's funeral, we were sitting around our newly landscaped backyard drinking a glass of wine talking about the what ifs and pretty much that was the lifting of the flood gates. I started doing research online about real estate, taxes, weather, school system, real estate, real estate, oh sorry, did I mention real estate? I know I mentioned taxes in there somewhere, NO STATE INCOME TAX!!! Just overall, there were so many benefits that outweighed the negative. And we left so much behind. I hope no one thinks for one moment that it was easy to do but the need for a change was just so much greater.
Geoff was able to keep his job (thank goodness), we were fortunately in a position where we could leave when we wanted. So we did. We bought a house in gorgeous Brentwood, TN and we were on our way.
I lost my train of thought, which you will find I often do. I will finish this later but it is a our new beginning...