Steve, it would be a real pleasure meeting up with you as well.
Another friend had recommended Ventura as a good place to look.
Yes, it's cold here, but we're used to it; the main reason we're going out West is to attend WPPI in Las Vegas.
Coupled with the long winter, and our lack of success at finding a home to buy here in Ottawa, we figured "Why not get out of town for a while?"
I just need to be able to keep working while I'm away, which isn't hard, but would need some preparation/arrangement.