i still have a few things left to take care of, but things are settling down to some semblance of "normal." in fact, i have all the signs of settling in nicely here: i'm getting sick. what is it about being some place new that makes you get sick easier? and for an anemic, who catches everything anyway then keeps it next to forever, getting sick any easier is a real feat. maybe i'll be lucky and it will pass quickly. okay, not likely, but it's worth a shot.

we're about as settled as we can be in a house without furniture. i'm in desperate need of bookshelves and a couple of those rolling shelves for the stuff i use as a writer all the time, but our first priority is a washer and dryer. after that we'll see. saxy wants at least mattresses for us, but i've been okay with the futon couch, even if we have it in the living room. the kids need dressers, night stands, and lamps. a real couch would be nice. saxy wants a real desk rather than the folding table for his computer, and i don't blame him there. above all this, though, we need that washer and dryer and a car. mcat says to cover everything for the car could cost $2-3,000. ouch. so that will have to be a more long term goal. my only concern is me getting sub jobs and having no way to get to work. as previously mentioned, the bus system out here isn't the best. well, i'm sure something will be worked out of the county hires me to sub. everything else is working out nicely, so that should too.

but we have managed some of the "little" comforts and extras that make a place nice to live in. we located radio stations we can live with, though not all of them are on the stereo. a good internet station is cherry radio, which was co-founded by a fellow dii-er and friend of mine, rhianna. she's a pretty cool dj too. she goes by the name betty page. we've also located a good chinese food restaurant and a tasty deli. most everything we need is pretty local - not walking distance, but local! there's a super wal-mart, and i do mean super - grocery store and all. and we must have looked awfully strange our first time in one of the local grocery stores, like tourists or something.

the neighborhood is nice. the kids have even made a friend other than their cousin already. it's quiet - no shooting! this one thing has made this move worth it, if nothing else: we now live in a place where my kids can go outside and play without having to worry about gangs, drugs, or drive bys. the kids are having a few problems adjusting to the whole "go play outside" thing though. they're just not used to it. sad but true. i just wouldn't let them go out in our previous neighborhood. just too damn dangerous. but here, well, they can almost play in the street, it's that quiet.

and the area is so GREEN! i didn't realize how much i missed such greenness until we were driving through some of the greenest states i've ever seen. it's just beautiful. granted, a few less trees in the back yard would be nice - it's more of a private little wood than a yard, but the front yard is nice. and the way the area is laid out is so different. in cali you have your residential areas and your commercial areas, and rarely do the two mix. okay, you have the corner store in the res areas, but in general, commercial is commercial. out here the two are far more mixed. there are blocks of just commercial, but most of the place is a mixture. and the trees are just everywhere!

the humidity does take getting used to, but i definitely like it here. saxy's getting settled in his new job so we should start finding our balance financially soon. things are going good so far. the little bumps are just that, little. and i feel pretty good about being here. in fact, i would say i've felt better than i have in a long time. i have hope for our future, don't feel so trapped in a dead-end situation, and things are looking good. starting over is hard, but, in this case, very much worth it.

yep, this was a very good move for us.