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You misapprehend my financial situation. Yes, I've got solar on 75% of my roof, but it's a stepvan. A lot of things collided this year that got me to the point of exiting the real-property market completely. And getting the fuck out is certainly on the table ... it's more a matter of "to where?" At this time of year, I like that my R-10 keeps me comfortable, and leaving Texas would almost certainly make that not the case.

I'm looking for remote work such that "to where" can become a starting point. Companies have gotten much better in the past four years about sending "we don't want you" emails, at least. Had a bumper crop of them this week.

And things in Austin aren't as shitty as in rural Idaho (my first wife was from Weiser). You can go out to dinner without hearing any slurs, and while that may sound a petty line to draw, that's about the level of interaction I have with the outside world at this point.

I'm also used to my vote not counting, just usually in the other direction. I did not move the needle in Oregon or Washington, and I don't move it here. The novelty here is that we can pass a city proposition 80/20 and have the Legislature convene for a special session in our own city to ban at the state level the precise law we just enacted. It's all theatre at this point.

But having options, even if thus far unexercised, is a step in the process. I do miss being in my 20s and driving across the country for a new job, but I'm a bit more contemplative these days. If I can land a remote position, I'll likely stay here through the eclipse, since that's a once-in-a-lifetime event that at this point requires me to do nothing to experience and falls before I need to find an air-conditioning solution.