Last year when we decided to move to Vacaville we thought we had a solid plan. Keep our jobs in Concord, live in Vacaville, use 2008 to find jobs in Sacramento, then leapfrog Sacramento and find a place to live in Auburn or Placerville. Bullet-proof.

We didn’t count on the economy turning on us. So no jobs in Sacramento. And no leapfrogging to Auburn or Placerville. I also didn’t count on my job in Concord being moved to Livermore.

But Vacaville to Livermore is 65 miles. I can’t drive that distance twice a day, AND pay $5 to use the bridge. And we can’t continue to pay $1600 a month in rent here in Vacaville. That’s just silly.

So the plan has changed. Hunker down. Ride out the recession. Keep my job with Comcast (the one that’s moving to Livermore). That means moving closer to Livermore.

Right now that’s looking like Manteca, which is 35 miles away (and no bridge toll). We like Manteca. It’s quiet. It’s strategically located between highways 5 and 99, right along 120.

120, which is the road to Yosemite. Awww yeah!

Our new location will put us about 2 hours away from Yosemite Valley. I’m liking the sound of that a lot.

We’ll also be very close to Yum’s favorite highway–88, which is the road to Kirkwood. It’s also our favorite way to get to Tahoe.

Our lease is up at our current apartment on May 1st, and that’s right around the time that my job is moving from Concord to Livermore. So far, so good.

Everything is going according to (the new) plan. And I love it when a plan comes together.