Update
So, for those of you playing along at home:
Fancy University has offered me a massive raise if I stay. So, given that State School U offered me my current salary to live in a major city, and I was calculating big ol' brokeness if I took that job, I have decided to stay.
Consequently: I am rich, rich rich. Ok, rich compared to a humanities professor in a not-Fancy school. Pretty rich. It comes down to a 33% (I'm not exaggerating, but I only just now did the calculation) raise. 33%. JESUS. They did admit that they were underpaying me to begin with -- apparently, my current salary is $2000 less than a brand-new hire makes this year. Oh well. No longer. At least, no longer as of July 1. Drinks on me.
I'm kind of freaked out. But it's clear that this is the right decision. I will, for instance, eventually be able to afford a small room in an apartment (not more than that, but that's something) in NYC. Which is really all I can dream of, at least while I live here.
As Deb said, if the paycut had been to take a job in San Francisco, I wouldn't have hesitated. But Southern California, with a commute? Bah.
My current plan: NYC this summer. Back to Fancy U for the fall term, probably with a sublet, and teaching my brand-new not-yet-syllabized Trans class. January 2009, I move to NYC (I know, best time of year for it...) and stay there through all of 2009, until coming back from my sabbatical leave in January 2010. At that point, I probably sublet again while I look to buy a house. I probably don't go on the job market for these two years, so I probably really do buy a house in early 2010, if not before, but also rent that room-in-apartment-in-NYC so that I can come back often.
Did I tell you I won this super-fancy fellowship that gives me a year off at full pay? That's ALL of 2009, folks. Ok, I'm going to run a conference, help grad students get jobs and write/publish stuff during that time, but not teach. YAAAY!!
Fancy University has offered me a massive raise if I stay. So, given that State School U offered me my current salary to live in a major city, and I was calculating big ol' brokeness if I took that job, I have decided to stay.
Consequently: I am rich, rich rich. Ok, rich compared to a humanities professor in a not-Fancy school. Pretty rich. It comes down to a 33% (I'm not exaggerating, but I only just now did the calculation) raise. 33%. JESUS. They did admit that they were underpaying me to begin with -- apparently, my current salary is $2000 less than a brand-new hire makes this year. Oh well. No longer. At least, no longer as of July 1. Drinks on me.
I'm kind of freaked out. But it's clear that this is the right decision. I will, for instance, eventually be able to afford a small room in an apartment (not more than that, but that's something) in NYC. Which is really all I can dream of, at least while I live here.
As Deb said, if the paycut had been to take a job in San Francisco, I wouldn't have hesitated. But Southern California, with a commute? Bah.
My current plan: NYC this summer. Back to Fancy U for the fall term, probably with a sublet, and teaching my brand-new not-yet-syllabized Trans class. January 2009, I move to NYC (I know, best time of year for it...) and stay there through all of 2009, until coming back from my sabbatical leave in January 2010. At that point, I probably sublet again while I look to buy a house. I probably don't go on the job market for these two years, so I probably really do buy a house in early 2010, if not before, but also rent that room-in-apartment-in-NYC so that I can come back often.
Did I tell you I won this super-fancy fellowship that gives me a year off at full pay? That's ALL of 2009, folks. Ok, I'm going to run a conference, help grad students get jobs and write/publish stuff during that time, but not teach. YAAAY!!