Jeff Harrington
Joined: 05/26/02
Posts: 69
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We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Monday, May 26, 2008 at 1:40 PM
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Some of you guys knew about this already, but thought I'd share it with the board...
I got laid off from my 6 figure computer programming job in January and we took my very nice severance package and we moved to a subtropical island off the west coast of Florida. It's completely bike-centric, ecologically-minded and 75% bird sanctuary/mangrove swamp. The rest is housing for extremely rich people, including a lot of celebrities.
The island is famous for some of the most beautiful beaches and the best sea-shelling in the Western Hemisphere. Over 1500 different types of shells. There are birds everywhere. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beach. We have a red-shouldered hawk living in the jungle behind the parking lot. There's an osprey nest in our backyard! We downsized so we can live without working off of our savings over the past 11 years and I can just work on music. I can always do a little freelance work if that doesn't work out. Plus there are plenty of tourist t-shirt shops I could get a cashier's job at! 
We're renting a tiny apartment in the back of a high-end strip mall with a parking lot as our front yard... And it's fantastic! I ride my bike to a deserted tropical beach every day and walk for about 2 hours and then come back and have lunch and get to work on my music. I'm not that worried about not being in NYC for my career because most of my music performances are outside NY and are web-connected.
Google Map
Sanibel Island Flickr photostream
So far I've composed two new pieces, gotten 3 scores polished and have started a new one... so I think it's going to work. Main risk was the $$$ and getting our own health insurance but things are looking pretty good. Got the health insurance going last week. Freakin' nightmare... And we've stopped eating out and got a bread machine to save more $$$.
Anyways... I'd rather live off of absolutely nothing than work another year in a cubicle farm with no natural light in NYC!
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Subtronik
Joined: 01/14/03
Posts: 1193
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Monday, May 26, 2008 at 3:11 PM
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Sounds cool. If you ever want to collab on an industrial breakbeat piece just let me know.
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LoveCraft's Adjectives
Joined: 08/14/01
Posts: 247
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Monday, May 26, 2008 at 3:48 PM
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That's Sweeeeeeet, Jeff. Gratz to you and yours. And YEAH! Bread Machines! They Rawk . . .
and if you ever want a bunch of freeloaders hanging around hassling the celebrities let us know
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Jeff Harrington
Joined: 05/26/02
Posts: 69
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 12:29 PM
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Yeah Sub that might be fun! Lemme think about how that might work. You ever listen to Atomic Buddha when he was on MP3.COM? Pretty sick stuff, no breaks though...
LA! Our place is tiny but we could show you around... there's some cheap beachfront cabana type places near our favorite beach and some of the best seafood in Florida.
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louwhoz
Joined: 03/13/05
Posts: 429
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 1:23 PM
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Wow! I checked out the photos and you're right...looks like paradise to me! 
If I were there I think I'd be spending all of my time taking pictures, working on my green thumb and getting so tan I'm sure I'd simply shrivel up!
Congratulations! Enjoy the paradise you have found.
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doofgoblin
Joined: 01/21/02
Location: charlottesville, va
Posts: 191
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 1:52 PM
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that's awesome Jeff, congrats and good luck!
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Jeff Harrington
Joined: 05/26/02
Posts: 69
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 10:49 AM
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Thanks guys! Lou, just from riding our bikes around we've gotten so dark I'm not sure my parents would recognize me! It's just so freakin' bright out we have to keep our windows shut during the day now - so we're living in the dark again. Weird.  You guys must be pretty tan living in San Diego!
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Sonic Wallpaper
Joined: 05/22/01
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1266
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 12:36 PM
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Hi Jeff - I'm very happy for the two of you. It's such a contrast to NY, you'll probably always feel you're on vacation.
Glad to hear you've become so productive with your music - you know things are flowing well when that happens 
Tan... Lou does for sure, I on the other hand, have Irish skin, so I tend to burn in the San Diego sun.
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Fourier
Joined: 08/13/01
Location: Florida, USA
Posts: 77
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 3:03 PM
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Our Sanibel pics:
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Jeff Harrington
Joined: 05/26/02
Posts: 69
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Monday, June 2, 2008 at 1:13 PM
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Nice pics! Where was that top pic taken? Looks like South Seas Resort?
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Fourier
Joined: 08/13/01
Location: Florida, USA
Posts: 77
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Monday, June 2, 2008 at 7:47 PM
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No, it's somewhere on W. Gulf Drive, don't know exactly where
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(((stereofect)))
Joined: 09/02/01
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1333
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RE: We've moved to a tropical paradise!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 5:28 AM
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That all looks soooooo awesome. Looks like a great spot to be during the loooooong winters up here. Nothing like that in these parts. And I'm pretty much like Gideon. If I don't bathe in sun-block prior to gettin' in the sun my alabaster skin turns a lovely shade of bright red within minutes.
Steve
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage — to move in the opposite direction.” Albert Einstein
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