Settling in

So... we're here. Settling in nicely. Or at least we will be when our stuff arrives, tomorrow. It'll be great to have furniture again. Right now we have a blow-up bed but no chairs, so we eat sitting on the floor. With paper plates. :)

Our temporary apartment is wonderful: Very large, very open, with tall ceilings, a fireplace, and a cat window. Within 2 miles we have not one but TWO Fred Meyers (think Target + grocery store), Home Depot, Target, a great yarn store that carries roving, and Uwajimaya (sort of a Japanese Fred Meyer)... and it's half the rent we've been paying! It'll almost be a shame to move when we find our house.

Even better is reuniting with our friends. Nicole, Stephen, and Tammy have made us very happy. I went to a big social event this weekend and was surprised to see so many old friends from my previous life here. We've all evolved... gained and lost weight, or hair, and one even changed gender. I'm also busily making new friends. :) The one thing that hasn't changed is the love... I feel so at home and comfortable here. *sigh* It's good to be back.

I do have to make a quick trip back to Philly this Friday. The transport company finally admitted they had failed to even pick Wensleydale UP - they were supposed to collect her on the 10th. So I am flying back and will drive her home.

Diane, this pic is just for you. :)

whoops

I'm here! Sorry I forgot to tell you. Not that anyone reads this blog anyway.

Anyway we finally have internet but the TV is still on the moving truck which means I was forced to watch LOST on the laptop, not ideal but James Ford as a cop, about 12 inches from my face, not so bad at all.

I need sleep, can you tell?

To answer your email questions:

School isn't happening this year. We didn't match with Matt's hospital until March, so I missed the deadlines. Will reapply for 2008. I'll get a job doing acupuncture at a doc's office.

I LOVE the new house. Nesting like a maniac. :) PA is green and gorgeous and the people are megafriendly. The city of Philly has roads worthy of the Dark Ages but some damn good cheesesteaks. It's fun going in but I am SO glad we decided to live rural.

Fig finally remembered he's a Coon Cat and not a Coon Cowerer. He's back to normal instead of acting like a psychotic PTSD Vietnam vet. Blackberry loves the porch, where she can lord over the local rabble (rabbits). We have at least 16 legs in the bed every night and everyone's happy.

Craigslist has been a goldmine of cheap / free furniture. My art room has 4 new matching Ikea pieces, for which I paid a total of $40. Great oak table & chairs (Yes! We have a table to eat on now!) for $50. My parents are visiting Fri-Sun so I am determined to have the house at least superficially finished by then. That means pics by Fri! :)

The only bad news has been the movers. They damaged all sorts of stuff and LOST a huge Rubbermaid tub containing my best roving. All of my alpaca, llama, merino, and even some silk hankies. Nothing irreplacable, of course, but I had hunted this stuff down and you all know what a notorious cheapskate I am. I really mourn for the black teenage alpaca - I had enough to make a cardigan and was working on a design.

Oh well - the important bit is that we are all safe and happy. And Fig is shedding enough to replace the bin of roving, anyway.

Rain & Thunder & Lightning

This afternoon we went to a potluck and a geocache hike on a gorgeous wooded path. We had a massive storm tonight, which we shared with a new friend (Alia) on our screened-in porch. In the past week we've seen both deer and rabbits in our back yard. We even saw a beaver today on the side of the road, just hanging out. I'm liking Pennsylvania a lot more than I expected!

Sorry about the lack of pics. I want to get the house settled first, and that should happen pretty soon. Be patient!

Movers just left

Needed: Lawyer
Broken: glass table, lamp, bookcase, angel statue
Scratched: leather couch
Missing: Screws to TV stand, desk, and bed

Having them out of my house: Priceless

Home, Sweet Home

We're here! It's sooooo good to be in a house. Our house. I'm nesting like crazy and we've only been here a few hours. The fur-kids are extremely happy. The front bay window has a foot-deep sill just designed for cats. Blackberry has claimed a corner of the porch and settled in solidly.

The only snag: The movers (rhymes with Mationwide) quoted us about $3500 to move our stuff. They called me today and said they'd be here tomorrow. But the cost has magically increased to $6800 and I have to pay cash. No credit cards. Like anybody actually has that kind of liquid assets at their fingertips!

We'll be calling a lawyer first thing in the morning.

Pennsylvania

Just over the border into our new home state. No speeding tix today. Iowa drivers were doing 40 in the left lane, making us crazy. Then a transport ambulance (lights, no siren) paved the way for 100+ miles at about 85 (speed limit 75). Woo hoo!

Peachy now has Front of Car priviledges, as long as he stays in my lap.

Gillette, Wyoming

Here safe and sound. Cattle running around loose in the back of the car. Bunny continues to rule the world.

Montana is awesome. Matt got clocked at 93 and the ticket was $40. He almost said "Sweet!" to the cop. I got nailed an hour later doing 75 (both in 65 zones). Penalty was $20. They are our first tickets in 7 & 8 years. Can you tell we are in a hurry to get to our new home?

Travelcats at Moses Lake, WA

It's our first night on the road. Peachy (partially blind, toothless, declawed & arthritic) is the standout explorer. He was doing his patented Cutest Otter on the Planet pose in the carrier within an hour. Now he's gleefully climbing all over the hotel room, rubbing his face on all the edges. Blackberry has her own little kingdom in the bathroom, since I didn't want to have trouble catching her in the morning. She seems perfectly happy. Meanwhile Fig, our ultra-dangerous Maine Coon, is shaking with terror under the bed!

Our new nest

I'm writing this from Pennsylvania. Matt & I found our house today. We are still renting but at least it feels like a real grown-up home.

It's a cute little bricky thing, with a huge back yard, a screened-in porch (the cats are going to love it!), a spare bedroom for visitors (YOU!!), and we even have dogwoods and azaleas in the front! It's out in the boonies in a quiet green neighborhood, but only a 30 min commute to Matt's hospital. It's close to the rail that can take me into the city, too.

Yay!!