My sister is the manager for an apartment building in the Los Angeles area and Rob¹ works in a telesales center (incoming calls, they don’t do telemarking) for a technology company.  The company recently decided to close their local office and consolidate their sales centers.  The good news is that he was offered a job at another center, which is located in a town in the general vicnity of Denver².  They’ll finally be able to escape the socialist hellhole of Los Angeles.  I may fly out there on the 29th to help them move (i.e. drive their car for them so they don’t have to tow it and can get by with a smaller truck). 

My sister is very excited about the move because she’s gotten very tired of dealing with the people out there in LA.  She mentioned an incident from a couple of weeks ago that nearly made me fall out of my chair.  She was crossing the street near a McDonalds that is close to their apartment and this guy who was in his 20’s stopped in the middle of the street and just stared at my 10-year-old niece.  He tried to talk to her and my sister intervened by putting herself between them.  She said she was so shocked by it she never said anything to the guy and just kept walking.  But this wasn’t the only time things like this have happened.  If nothing else, she’s hoping that the per-capita level of pervs will be lower in Colorado.

I’m just glad they’re finally getting out.  I’ve had a feeling of dread for as long as she and the girls have been living in California.  I know that from my visits to both places, Colorado feels a lot more like home than California ever did.  This will also mean that it’ll be a little easier to visit.  According to Mapquest, the distance from my house to their new apartment is 705 miles, which is something I might be able to manage in one (long) day of driving.

¹ Rob and my sister have been together for nearly eight years now, but they’ve never gotten married.  Except for the ceremony and the piece of paper, they might as well be married, though.  It’s left me at a loss for exactly the right word to use.  Boyfriend just doesn’t cut it, and SO (Significant Other) just sounds weird. 

² Due to a situation with one of her ex’s, who is also a felon, I won’t give the actual town.  You never know if the bastard or one of his friends might be reading this, although it’s likely he’s still in jail somewhere.  That guy never met a cop who didn’t arrest him for something (mostly bad checks and back child support).