Henniker is Utgiagvik

The northernmost point of Alaska is Utgiagvik.

In fact it is the northermost city in the United States. Henniker is Utgiagvik.

Carol and I have been talking a lot recently about the inconvenience of living in Henniker. I introduced the concept that we should have moved the fuck away from here when our sons moved out - in 2002. At that point there was no reason to stick around. I don't know if she agrees with me, but I do know that we agree that we are so fucking sick of driving down 202 and then down 89.

Everything we do, everwhere we go, requires us to take 202 to 89. We have to drive half an hour to take a shit.

We moved here in 1986 and it was the perfect move. Keith was 6 years old, Craig was 3. We moved from Billerica, MA, which was an armpit and not a safe place to raise kids. Henniker was paradise by way of comparison.

But Henniker is a terrible place to live job-wise and convenience-wise. No jobs within 750 miles, no fucking restaurants or any other conveniences nearby. We cannot even get food delivered, which of course is a basic survival mechanism in 2023.

I was thinking about this as I drove into Concord this morning (for the 700 millionth time) to have bloodwork done in advance of a medical appointment on Thursday. I drove to Concord yesterday for work and today for bloodwork. I have to drive to Concord tomorrow for work, Thursday for a medical appointment and Friday for work.

It is 20 miles from Henniker to Concord. This week I will put 200 miles on my car between Monday and Friday. When you live in Henniker and you buy a car it is immediately depreciated 20% on day one. And then double the normal rate every year after that.

We gotta get out of this place.........if it's the last thing we ever do.................

I have been running through all the mistakes in my life since 2023 exploded onto the scene. Henniker is a big one, at least since 2002. Handcuffing me, asphyxiating me. Maybe my father was right when he told me he thought I was fucking nuts to move here.

And now it feels like we will never escape. Housing market collapsing, interest rates causing rectal bleeding.

This house went from a safe and happy place - a memory factory, to just a place to live , to a fucking tomb in coming up on 37 years. And Henniker is a big part of the reason.

I don't think that's the way it's supposed to work.