Attn: NorCal/Wash listers, advice needed. (Limited Audi content).

[four.rings@MCIONE.com]

Hello, friends!
I normally don't spam the list with the limited Audi content messages,
but here I hope I can make a one-time exception. 

The life is doing about-face 180. We are pretty much fed up by life on
the East Coast in general and in Philly in particular. I am currently
out of the job, back in school. My wife is about to lose hers coz the
Core States Bank is being taken over by the First Union Bank and the
major shake-up is inevitable. 
Also we have no children. No house to sell. No relatives and very few
friends to live behind.
On top of that the house that we are renting is being sold from under us
as we speak. Time to move.
We have narrowed the list to basically just two options:
1. Silicon Valley.
2. Seattle.

I've been to NorCal several times and absolutely loved it there. Palo
Alto is by far and large my favourite place in the whole of the United
States.
Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to visit Seattle yet, but from what
I hear it is a very pleasant place to live in, especially for European
expatriates.

I would be extremely grateful for ANY kind of info, that might help us.
Namely:

1. Pros and cons of life in the respective cities. Especially the insane
prices of RE in the Silicon Valley vs. 320 days of rain per year in
Seattle. I am from Leningrad, so rain does not scare me all that much.
2. What is the current job outlook for either location? I have an MS in
Physics with 15+ years in recearch/engineering. My wife is a Computer
Programer.
3. What are major newspapers (classified sections) in the respective
cities? Are they represented on the Internet? Does anyone know a head
hunter in NorCal? Anyone willing to make a quick buck (a referral fee)
on me and/or my wife? :)
4. Should I bring my 49-state-legal '89 200TQ to CA or would it be more
cost effective to sell it here and to take just the A4, for which I have
thoughtfully ordered the 0LM (California Emissions) as a no-charge
option? I'd rather keep the 200 coz : 
	a) I am absolutely in love with this car.
	b) It's a damn low mile clockwork. My MS Access DB file with it's
4-year service history is kilometre-long.
	c) It's head is off out on the bench. I just lapped the valves,
replaced the valve seals and by this coming weekend the car will have
a new 2-piece EM and every gasket, seal, stud, nut and bolt above the
cylinder block renewed. In the meantime I am more than $1000 poorer, coz
it's not gonna add much to the resale value.
We totally lack any American moving experience. During the past 9 years,
that we've been living in the States, we moved only once, within the
same ZIP code, so it does not even count.
The idea of packing up EVERYTHING (my toolbox alone probably weighs 
half-a-ton ;) into a big U-haul, attaching a dolly with one Audi to it
and driving this monster on wheels across the country, without the
benefit of changing drivers, coz my wife will be driving the other Audi,
is giving me goose bumps. I would highly appreciate ANY input as to what
could make the whole affair easier.
What's the best way to move? To hire a co-driver, or to hire a moving
Co? To drive the Audis across the country ourselves or to delegate it to
the moving Co? Insurance issues? Reliability issues? How soon will I
have to register the cars in CA? Can we drive them legally with PA
plates? For how long? Any gotcha's?

Thank you very much for any help you might offer. Please respond off
list. 

-- 
Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ -- 18psi (TAP)
'98 A4TQ
Philadelphia, PA
USA