Oh yes... it gets worse!
My apartment had gotten down below 30 degrees while the movers were here and doors had to be left open. My bed was frozen as was every thing else that came off the truck. That night, I used blankets and slept with all my clothes on, including coat, boots and hat, on the couch, which mind you, was also frozen having been on the truck. Lily slept on top of me; everything else was too cold for her, too...I think it took me several days to warm up afterward.
The very next day, the moving company called me, demanding payment. I told the guy I would be happy to forward the email I'd sent in NOVEMBER with billing instructions. I also said that I would consider paying my share when perhaps more of my goods actually got here and/or their insurance person contacted me.
The weather continued to be cold, colder, coldest. And then....we had an ice storm. Not a little one, but circa 1996 in Spokane.
It had been a typical snowy day and I decided that since I was off early, I would run to Portsmouth, NH for some errands. I headed to Hampton as what I needed was there. Mid-way out, all the snow turned into freezing rain. I inched my way to a Subaru dealer and had my wiper blades changed over to heavy winter version, which is a solid rubber here so ice will not dam up in them. With my defroster on high and temp set at 85, I could at least keep the window clear. Going back across that bridge was dicey -- cars off the road everywhere! What normally would have been a 30 minute drive became an hour and a half, but at least I got home. All of the highways were sheets of glass, at least 2" thick.
No sooner was I home than bam! A flash of green light and all the power was out! No power here equals no water and more importantly, no heat. Someone must have hit a transformer on the highway. Luckily, I'd found blankets by then and Lily and I snuggled in for the night. I told her we were camping..good thing I always keep a flashlight in my purse....Another night sleeping (or trying to) in clothes and full body wear --
Later the next day, the power came back on, but my heat did not. I came home from work to find my apartment at about 45 degrees. The heat had quit. I checked the propane tank and it indicated I had plenty left. My landlord came and commented that he noticed it had been making funny noises when the movers were here, so he'd gone in and changed the filters. Apparently, there was an issue with dust on the igniter and the pilot wasn't firing up. He wanted to wait and see if it resolved itself as he was able to at least get it back on.
Over the course of a few days, the heat kept going off and on. The night I came back from Bangor, it was off and the apartment was excrutiatingly cold. Now it seems to be mostly on and the consensus is that because the filters had been so dirty, dust had clogged the line. But let me tell you, no heat here mid winter can be serious business for so many reasons.
I hooked up my TV only to find the cable wasn't working. I called and got a recording saying outages in the area. I called my landlord who did have cable working. I called Time Warner back and was told outages relate to dates of install, not general areas where things are at. Ok..... I wait three more days and still no service and it's only happening with the main TV. They send a repairman out and lo and behold, they find the first tech had disconnected the line after he'd verified it. I will not be charged for all those days without service.
The moving company continues to call me about payment. I tell them I will have to make installments, but not until my missing goods are replaced or found and I hear from the insurance lady. I remind them hospitals have approval committees and that if they'd done as requested in November, they'd have had an advance payment for that part.
Five days later, I get a call from the truck driver. He is in Long Island, NY now and they've found more of my things, behind the other person's shipment. He is on his way back. Two days later, they show up -- another snowy and bitter cold day. He tells me all about their adventures in New York with that big truck. Rather than rent a shuttle truck, they again park up on the highway and we use my car to shuttle items. Miraculously, my little tv has shown up, although I haven't tested it yet. Other things also come back damaged. Other things are STILL MISSING.
The driver tells me he cannot give me the goods until I give him payment, per his boss at the moving company. I tell him no payments will be exchanged until 1) ALL goods are given to me and 2) they pay for what is damaged! I tell him he either off loads the goods or I will be happy to call the local police to the scene. I send an e-mail to the moving company promising the same thing. After thinking long and hard about this (aka more delays), they give me what they've found, mind you things are still missing. I tell the driver I am not so much angry at him as the way this whole thing was handled, broken promises, time frames and damaged articles. I tell him I will take further legal action as necessary until things are rectified. And I may have to do just that.
I spent about six hours unpacking last night. So many things are mislabeled. So much paper. So little time. It is ridiculous!
I went to Home Depot last week to get a piece of finished carpet to put in front of the washer as the floor is just too cold on the concrete. I buy carpet pad. The kid looks at what I am buying and cuts the pad. I get things home and wrangle the carpet to the basement. I unroll it fresh out of the package. It has a bald spot on it. The pad is cut two feet too short. What is this black cloud following me, for goodness sakes??!!
I call the store and they should make an adjustment for me without having to take everything back.
I have developed a leak in my "dry" basement. Water is running in rivulets down one wall. The landlord can't tell if it is from condensation on a pipe from the furnace or if there is a crack in the concrete, or caulking is missing or....it will be spring before we can tell. The basement slopes pretty seriously down to one corner, so I am putting things I don't care about on that side.
The basement stairs are open style. That is, they are just stairs without backing on each step and there is only one wall to the left, no railing. The entire right side is open, so if one were to slip, you'd fall about 5-8 feet onto the concrete or go through the stair step. Lily has been terrified about these stairs. She would peer down at the top when I went to do laundry or work down there. One day, she ventured down a couple of steps and stopped, whimpering as she must have felt she was suspended in space. I had to sit and pat each step for her to come down. Of course, once she did, she regaled in smelling smells from home and yard and was quite happy. Reluctantly, she went back up when we had lunch.
Next time was a little easier, and then she found it to be a sport as the stairs will wobble when you go on them. Up and down she would go with ease. Unfortunately, she has now decided she likes them so much that she wants to dash down before I've turned on the light! I am so afraid she will just dive off the edge -- I have to hold her collar so she waits for the light to come on. She likes the carpet piece and lays on it while I am working.
All of the venting falls off from my dryer...another call to the landlord as he'd put it on.
Today, I have chosen to be lazy. Still in PJs at 10:30 am. Ate left over Chinese for breakfast. There is a little sunshine out but more snow is forecast. I'll shower soon and run some errands and then back to more unpacking. I really need to catch up on class material, but the professor has been great understanding the delays.
I am sure I will feel much better after more things are put away.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Bad...
The bad..... it has snowed here almost every single day since my arrival. There are spots in the back yard that I am sure would be chest deep for me. When it snows, it also blows and gets very windy so big drifts pile up. I could not open the back door yesterday as it had about 4" slammed up against it. We don't get an inch at a time. We seem to get anywhere from 6-10" at a time. Thankfully, the highways and main roads are always well plowed. It's just getting up to them that can be difficult. I have had to dig the car out more than once so I could back up enough and then pedal to the medal to get traction to get out. Subarus do a good job in deep snow. But seriously, it can take me 30 minutes to dust off the car in the morning and another 30 at night to leave work.
It continues to be very cold -- it got down to minus 14 one night and one day had a high of 3.
Here's a typical day's snowfall....this was from morning until noon on just one day...the picnic table on our office's back porch (the light is not daylight but a porch light):
When Jack Frost Visits during the night, one's windshield doesn't necessarily all freeze up. Sometimes there are just beautiful little snowflakes all over it to greet you:
And these are just some of the things...
It continues to be very cold -- it got down to minus 14 one night and one day had a high of 3.
Here's a typical day's snowfall....this was from morning until noon on just one day...the picnic table on our office's back porch (the light is not daylight but a porch light):
When Jack Frost Visits during the night, one's windshield doesn't necessarily all freeze up. Sometimes there are just beautiful little snowflakes all over it to greet you:
The bad....
My goods did actually, finally, arrive...the second day AFTER I started work. I had to leave to meet the delivery folks. Now, my things were loaded onto a big freight truck. There was no way they could get down to where I live (over the river and through the woods kinds of roads). It took them from 11 am (when I came home from work) until 2 pm to decide this while the rig sat up on the highway with its blinkers flashing. I finally had to drive the driver 30 minutes away to rent a smaller U-Haul truck so they could make shuttle runs with my stuff.
Now, bear in mind, it was a high of 10 degrees and these two guys were in sweatshirts and had nothing warmer with them.
We found a restaurant along the highway that would allow us to park their truck. It took them four trips and they didn't finish until well after midnight! Of course, the temperatures kept dropping....it was a flat ZERO degrees by the time they did the last load. I felt so sorry for them that I took them out and treated for a meal and an hour break. My neighbor told us about a great little pub place downtown so we all went and had fish and chips, and they had chowder, a specialty of that pub.
The bad.... 1) These guys didn't know they were coming to Maine at all. In fact, they'd never been given my address and didn't know where they were headed until 7 days before they arrived and had called me as they headed for New Jersey. 2) No one told them I had stairs up and down and that they would be delivering loads to all levels. 3) No one told them how cold it was here. 4) There were no extra people to help off load as there were loading at the other end, so they really were overburdened.
The very bad.... Many of my things arrived broken or damaged!!!! My mattress set, which I was told would be boxed, was just shoved into the bulkhead of the truck. This damaged the memory foam and cover. My dressers that were still very good, got chipped or had drawers broken. My counter stools had all the finish rubbed off the edges. My collectors cabinet had the glass broken. The hide-a-bed is missing a foot. Both computer tables are broken. Many containers were cracked or broken. Boxes were smashed. And finally, my formerly beautiful leather couch now has a small tear and some scratches on it, as well as, stitching that is coming undone on the leather. Check it out:
Now, these fellows tell me that this is how things came off the truck. Not having seen them load the U-Haul, I can't say. I can tell you there were times they less than optimally handled my things -- my washer went down the basement stairs face down on the glass door as it was too heavy for the two of them. They did not have use of a hand truck or back belts. They said none of those items had been left on their truck for them. Toward the end, they decided there was no way my freezer would make it in. I don't know if they'd just given up or it truly was too wide for the door. It is presently taking a break in my landlord's garage and he tells me when spring comes, he will try and get some friends to help get it through the bulkhead (root cellar) doors. The entire thing was a nightmare!
As they were leaving, at midnight, I was asked to sign the paperwork that acknowledged I had received everything. Then I was told the shipment was COD and he was to collect $8104 from me. Ha ha ha ha ha.
First of all, I did NOT receive everything. A number of goods are missing. Secondly, they did not confirm inventory tags against the list as they offloaded. Finally, we'd never had a COD agreement! I wrote all over the bills of lading that inventory was not counted or confirmed, I listed immediate visible damages and that payment was refused as COD was never the term! I was NOT a happy camper.
The not so bad.... The rest of the week, administration let me work half days to try and get some boxes unpacked. They generously paid me anyway, knowing I would be good for making up the time working from home.
The hilariously bad...Nevertheless, it has been crazy! No box they packed is labeled with accurate contents. For example, a box was labeled "kitchen spices." Well, it did have a can of cinnamon someone threw in on the top of all the paper apparently at the last minute. Unfortunately, the remainder of the contents was gardening supplies that had been on my deck. Another box marked "lamps" had no lamps, but did have one lightbulb. A box marked "garage" had a flower pot on top, but underneath it were all my DVDs and Blu-Ray player. It may be years before I can account for everything!!!! So, as it is, I am unpacking everything to at least touch it and know what is in the box unless it is something the girls and I packed.
They used soooo much paper (as I'd witnessed myself). The first day of unpacking, I came out of it with five dishpack size boxes of just paper. Now, there were actual items in the boxes, but please tell me why you would use four large sheets of paper to wrap one small spice jar? But then use nothing at all to wrap a large bottle of olive oil? Or use nothing to wrap my piece of wave glass art (it was stuffed in a box and thank goodness, did not break...) but wrap a toilet paper holder with so many sheets and tape that you didn't know what you were opening??? Please tell me why you would pack a desktop computer, monitor and printer, but then fail to include any of their related cords in the box? I have no idea where they are...
The Good....
Things have been incredibly busy and cold here since the 17th...
Sat 1/29: The good news is ..... that there is some sun out today (temporarily not snowing) and in a short while, I will be leaving for Saco, Maine, to join my Vegan Meet-Up friends for brunch and a museum tour.
What a great bunch they are --- I keep meeting new people, learning new things and get to sight see a little along the way because the meetings are held all over. Next month, we head back to Portland, ME for a night of bowling and vegan eats. I did fairly well this week and only had meat once.
Last weekend, we met in Bangor for a great vegan Mexican meal where the restaurant made a special menu for us with many choices on it. Since Bangor is so far north and I passed through Portland area anyway, I took the liberty to stop at Whole Foods Market (aka Whole Paycheck) and the new Trader Joe's. It was a coooold weekend -- high of 3, so I didn't have to worry about anything not staying frozen in the car. Trader Joe's had a few other frozen dessert things and Whole Foods had more of what I needed, as well as some good vegan bakery items (non-dairy, of course), so I bought a few muffins and scones. They even had my Imagine brand soups on sale.
I drove to a rest stop in Gardiner, ME, which was about 2 hrs from my house. I met friends there and we rode the rest of the way up to Bangor together. The big rest stops here are unlike any I'd ever seen. For one thing, they all have gas stations and food areas, like food courts, and big, clean restrooms. This one did have a Starbucks -- the second one I have seen since my arrival, so you can see how few and far between they are. Each also has a huge building with an art gallery -- Maine Crafts -- which is a cooperative of Maine artists who show and sell their wares. I was able to get a lot of free information about things to do in Maine, and made a mental note that sometime this might be a good cooperative to get involved in to sell artwork.
The Mexican restaurant was very accommodating and we had a huge selection to choose from. They even used vegan cheese! Of course I took advantage of that and ended up being able to take food home. Since I was not the immediate driver, I also enjoyed a glass of their Sangria which they make red and white versions of (I'd never heard of that, but I guess they use a Chablis as the base). Food was great and I met many people, including students from U of Maine and an entire family that is vegan by choice. It was a good opportunity to swap recipes and reasons to switch lifestyles. It would seem allergies are one big reason besides trying to do what is better for the planet.
Here I am at the last meet-up:
More good ... work is going well and I have been extremely busy attending meeting after meeting and trying to learn the new systems and protocols. I feel very supported by administration and everyone seems to like my ideas....we'll see how much they like them when they actually have to do them, ha-ha. But, the work days fly by and I feel very needed so that is a good thing. There is a lot to do. I will be taking an 8 wk evening class for the EMR system they use. This is offered through the local adult education extension service and they are providing this for me.
My prior experience with renovation and expansion has proven useful as we will be doing the same tasks in spring. This will all be good for my health, too, because the campus is so spread out and parking is at a premium (or you have to park out a couple of miles and be shuttled for free), I walk outside a lot. This requires bundling up like and Eskimo, going to the meeting, unbundling during the meeting and then wrapping back up to go to the next place. Thank goodness for YakTraks! They have saved me more than once on the ice.
I did find out something interesting. In 1995, I had the Hep B series of vaccinations and was told I was protected all these years. My actual titer says I am not, so I will be repeating the shots. The nurses tell me this is not unusual and sometimes they have to be repeated. So, if you want to make sure you are protected, ask your doctor to run blood test. Otherwise, get more shots! Even though I work less directly with patients here, I fall under a hospital umbrella and am subject to the same rules as nurses and other health care workers.
Another interesting thing -- medical assistants are not licensed in Maine, as they are in WA. They are not allowed to do triage, because the definition here says only nurses (RN) are allowed to make assessments. MAs do not get training on sterile technique in schools here. They can pretty much do anything else, but what an eye opener that was. I have found a loophole in that MAs can screen a call and then give to an RN for disposition, much as a doctor would then get the chart. RNs can then decide whether or not to phone in a new prescription....which if you ask me is practicing medicine, but they call it assessment here....
The good....I discovered Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat Pale Ale. I had a craving for a beer one night so on my way home, I stopped at the store. Beer is very expensive here -- $10-$15 A SIX PAC. There were many micro brews to choose from so I looked at the shelf that seemed the most empty and chose that. Now I see why -- OMG, it is so delicious! I've tried other fruit-style beers, like a cherry one in Montana, but they tasted like cough syrup. This one, however, is truly delicious! It was so good, I had two that night. I also bought some other regular microbrew kind that had a variety pac. We'll see how that is later...
The good.... the lobster roll sandwich I had in the cafeteria the first day of work, as shown here:
The good...1/30 Had a great meet-up yesterday in Saco! We ate at the Chef and Gardener Restaurant. This is a very small place that besides serving regular food, does many special diets and needs -- they have a regular following that just comes to pick up their food. They made us a special vegan menu for our group, although they also regularly serve vegan and vegetarian dishes.There were so many wonderful choices that many of us opted to order a couple of things each and then share! I had curried lentil cakes, banana-peanut butter stuffed french toast and butternut squash soup. I also got to share some maple grits, grilled pear and mixed greens salad, yukon gold fritatta with tempeh bacon, vegan benedict and an eggplant strata that was absolutely gorgeous to behold with its many layers of veggies. So nice to be able to eat without having to take a Benadryl chaser! The restauarant even served Mimosas, so of course, I had to have one -- cranberry/orange was their special.
I met lots of new and interesting people who follow this lifestyle for a variety of reasons.
Afterward, we were treated to a tour of the Saco Museum as one of our members is the curator there. Not only did we see the regular exhibits, many of which dated back to the 1600's, but we got a private viewing of the collections room, got to see where things come in and how they get cataloged. We also heard some interesting historical tales about museum pieces that normally would not be available to the general public. I learned that every tombstone from those days had separate meanings by whatever design (type of flower or object) that was on the headstone. I also learned that if a portrait was painted with a clock prominent in it, or an upside down flower was on the person, it meant that the portrait was actually painted after death. But the high point for me at this museum was this lobster claw from 1866...can you imagine what the rest of it looked like???
Now for some bad news...
Sat 1/29: The good news is ..... that there is some sun out today (temporarily not snowing) and in a short while, I will be leaving for Saco, Maine, to join my Vegan Meet-Up friends for brunch and a museum tour.
What a great bunch they are --- I keep meeting new people, learning new things and get to sight see a little along the way because the meetings are held all over. Next month, we head back to Portland, ME for a night of bowling and vegan eats. I did fairly well this week and only had meat once.
Last weekend, we met in Bangor for a great vegan Mexican meal where the restaurant made a special menu for us with many choices on it. Since Bangor is so far north and I passed through Portland area anyway, I took the liberty to stop at Whole Foods Market (aka Whole Paycheck) and the new Trader Joe's. It was a coooold weekend -- high of 3, so I didn't have to worry about anything not staying frozen in the car. Trader Joe's had a few other frozen dessert things and Whole Foods had more of what I needed, as well as some good vegan bakery items (non-dairy, of course), so I bought a few muffins and scones. They even had my Imagine brand soups on sale.
I drove to a rest stop in Gardiner, ME, which was about 2 hrs from my house. I met friends there and we rode the rest of the way up to Bangor together. The big rest stops here are unlike any I'd ever seen. For one thing, they all have gas stations and food areas, like food courts, and big, clean restrooms. This one did have a Starbucks -- the second one I have seen since my arrival, so you can see how few and far between they are. Each also has a huge building with an art gallery -- Maine Crafts -- which is a cooperative of Maine artists who show and sell their wares. I was able to get a lot of free information about things to do in Maine, and made a mental note that sometime this might be a good cooperative to get involved in to sell artwork.
The Mexican restaurant was very accommodating and we had a huge selection to choose from. They even used vegan cheese! Of course I took advantage of that and ended up being able to take food home. Since I was not the immediate driver, I also enjoyed a glass of their Sangria which they make red and white versions of (I'd never heard of that, but I guess they use a Chablis as the base). Food was great and I met many people, including students from U of Maine and an entire family that is vegan by choice. It was a good opportunity to swap recipes and reasons to switch lifestyles. It would seem allergies are one big reason besides trying to do what is better for the planet.
Here I am at the last meet-up:
More good ... work is going well and I have been extremely busy attending meeting after meeting and trying to learn the new systems and protocols. I feel very supported by administration and everyone seems to like my ideas....we'll see how much they like them when they actually have to do them, ha-ha. But, the work days fly by and I feel very needed so that is a good thing. There is a lot to do. I will be taking an 8 wk evening class for the EMR system they use. This is offered through the local adult education extension service and they are providing this for me.
My prior experience with renovation and expansion has proven useful as we will be doing the same tasks in spring. This will all be good for my health, too, because the campus is so spread out and parking is at a premium (or you have to park out a couple of miles and be shuttled for free), I walk outside a lot. This requires bundling up like and Eskimo, going to the meeting, unbundling during the meeting and then wrapping back up to go to the next place. Thank goodness for YakTraks! They have saved me more than once on the ice.
I did find out something interesting. In 1995, I had the Hep B series of vaccinations and was told I was protected all these years. My actual titer says I am not, so I will be repeating the shots. The nurses tell me this is not unusual and sometimes they have to be repeated. So, if you want to make sure you are protected, ask your doctor to run blood test. Otherwise, get more shots! Even though I work less directly with patients here, I fall under a hospital umbrella and am subject to the same rules as nurses and other health care workers.
Another interesting thing -- medical assistants are not licensed in Maine, as they are in WA. They are not allowed to do triage, because the definition here says only nurses (RN) are allowed to make assessments. MAs do not get training on sterile technique in schools here. They can pretty much do anything else, but what an eye opener that was. I have found a loophole in that MAs can screen a call and then give to an RN for disposition, much as a doctor would then get the chart. RNs can then decide whether or not to phone in a new prescription....which if you ask me is practicing medicine, but they call it assessment here....
The good....I discovered Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat Pale Ale. I had a craving for a beer one night so on my way home, I stopped at the store. Beer is very expensive here -- $10-$15 A SIX PAC. There were many micro brews to choose from so I looked at the shelf that seemed the most empty and chose that. Now I see why -- OMG, it is so delicious! I've tried other fruit-style beers, like a cherry one in Montana, but they tasted like cough syrup. This one, however, is truly delicious! It was so good, I had two that night. I also bought some other regular microbrew kind that had a variety pac. We'll see how that is later...
The good.... the lobster roll sandwich I had in the cafeteria the first day of work, as shown here:
The good...1/30 Had a great meet-up yesterday in Saco! We ate at the Chef and Gardener Restaurant. This is a very small place that besides serving regular food, does many special diets and needs -- they have a regular following that just comes to pick up their food. They made us a special vegan menu for our group, although they also regularly serve vegan and vegetarian dishes.There were so many wonderful choices that many of us opted to order a couple of things each and then share! I had curried lentil cakes, banana-peanut butter stuffed french toast and butternut squash soup. I also got to share some maple grits, grilled pear and mixed greens salad, yukon gold fritatta with tempeh bacon, vegan benedict and an eggplant strata that was absolutely gorgeous to behold with its many layers of veggies. So nice to be able to eat without having to take a Benadryl chaser! The restauarant even served Mimosas, so of course, I had to have one -- cranberry/orange was their special.
I met lots of new and interesting people who follow this lifestyle for a variety of reasons.
Afterward, we were treated to a tour of the Saco Museum as one of our members is the curator there. Not only did we see the regular exhibits, many of which dated back to the 1600's, but we got a private viewing of the collections room, got to see where things come in and how they get cataloged. We also heard some interesting historical tales about museum pieces that normally would not be available to the general public. I learned that every tombstone from those days had separate meanings by whatever design (type of flower or object) that was on the headstone. I also learned that if a portrait was painted with a clock prominent in it, or an upside down flower was on the person, it meant that the portrait was actually painted after death. But the high point for me at this museum was this lobster claw from 1866...can you imagine what the rest of it looked like???
Now for some bad news...
Sunday, January 16, 2011
January 16th - Not exactly a day of rest...
Sunday, supposed to be a rest up day, right? Wrong! My morning started with tons of studies to do for the Health Informatics class. Lesson plans indicate I am to write a two page paper but I cannot find the directions anywhere for what that paper is to be about specifically. Also, it's been years since I've written a paper so I don't know how many resources to reference, etc. I will be searching for it tonight. Oy!
After doing homework and taking care of Lily, I showered and then washed some shirts in the sink....did I mention that my things are STILL not here? I hung them over a floor vent to dry. I am sure there are laundromats here somewhere but I didn't see any driving around. My guess is the nearest would be in Portsmouth, NH. As many trips as I have been making over there, perhaps that is where I should have chosen to live and just commuted to work. Something to think about in a year or two, I guess.
After doing my "laundry" I borrowed a shovel and decided to make an area for Lily outside. She has been struggling with the depth of the snow and it is clearly not going away for awhile. We are to get more on Tuesday. For about 90 minutes, I dug through 3-4 feet deep of snow to make a "patio" area so she could just go out the door and potty. I hope my dog knows how much I love her. I dug out about an 8x10 space so I could still watch her from the window and it is almost level with the back step. Using the locking retractable leash on the doorknob with the lead snaked under the door has been pretty effective for letting her out. I get to stand inside while she is outside and if she travels too far, the handle stops her. At least now she doesn't have to swim to her destination. Don't worry, I stopped to rest every now and then. It was a LOT of snow to move by hand.
Afterward, I changed into dry clothes and headed for a WalMart Super store in Somersworth that was supposed to be only 13 miles away. I had hopes of finding draperies I'd read about. Well, over the river and through the woods and 40 minutes later, my GPS got me there. Via Cider Mill Road, which reminded me of Greenbluff and farming areas, complete with ancient cemetaries and many a winding road along the way. I must go back and check these out someday.
Finally, after passing through several other small townships, I arrived. Now, this supercenter is not really what we would consider to be super. It was pretty small. They didn't have a single thing I needed. So, I gravitated to the grocery section and bought my margarine (as back-up), some cilantro, guacamole and soy milk. At the check-out, the cashier asked me very sweetly what cilantro was, that she'd never seen it and what was it used for. I explained I use it in Asian and Mexican dishes. She said her boyfriend is Puerto Rican and did I think he would like it if she got him some? So then we talked about different foods and she told me he makes plaintains sauteed in garlic and they are good. I told her I'd heard of plantains in brown sugar and rum, but not garlic. She asked me how to make that and said she would tell him. Fifteen minutes later, I was able to finish checking out. She had a very strong New England accent and I had to try hard not to smile too much when she was talking about her Portah Rikkin boyfriend-ah.
I noticed a Home Depot across the street and forced myself to go there and buy those darned plastic deflectors for my heating vents. I've forgotten every time I've been in there. I also found window film in a bamboo pattern for my bathroom window that I think will match the colors of the shower curtain I got. I brought it home to try -- don't know why I hadn't thought of this before! Same kind of stuff I used on my entry window; squeegie on and peel off as needed. That way, I don't have to mess with a crtain and can use the header that will be coming in my things, whenever that is.
I also saw some possible thermal drapes for the living room, a nice tweed, but they didn't have enough. So, I made a mental note and moved on...
To Target, which was right next door. Now, this stop made the drive worth it! I found double drapery rods just like what I'd been searching for. I found chocolate thermal drapes, just like I'd been looking for, only there were only enough for one window and they are discontinued. Dammit. I bought them for my bedroom because...I found sheers that have a light paisley pattern to match my chocolate and jade bedroom cover that I'd been saving. So, I think it will tie it all together quite nicely. They did not have enough rods for all the windows I needed so I drove to...you guessed it, Portsmouth! (Actually, Greenland which is right next door to Portsmouth).
That store only had three so I am one short, but they told me I can order more online! I also found sheers in the colors I wanted for inside what ever drapes I end up getting. I tried to go to Home Depot from there, but they were already closed @6:30. So, on to WalMart...
I found some chocolate covered Eclipse (thermal) drapes and they had enough for the living room, so I bought them, but I am holding out for Home Depot to have what I want. Those drapes even have tabs on the backside so when you put the rod through they look like draw curtains. Very nice.
On the way between Greenland and Portsmouth, my GPS helped me get lost. Again, from Portsmouth a different way, I got lost. It was 8:45 before I got home and I was staring to rely on my girl scout skills. A couple of times it told me to go south when I clearly needed to go north, and even when I did what it said, it would say "recalculating," and turn me around again. It's those rotarys, I tell ya!
Tomorrow if my first big day at work, barring the movers suddenly showing up, so I should get back online and try to find that paper to write before I go to bed.
My love to all and special thanks to my darling daughter and friends who worked so hard helping to clean my house to help it sell.
Until next time--
After doing homework and taking care of Lily, I showered and then washed some shirts in the sink....did I mention that my things are STILL not here? I hung them over a floor vent to dry. I am sure there are laundromats here somewhere but I didn't see any driving around. My guess is the nearest would be in Portsmouth, NH. As many trips as I have been making over there, perhaps that is where I should have chosen to live and just commuted to work. Something to think about in a year or two, I guess.
After doing my "laundry" I borrowed a shovel and decided to make an area for Lily outside. She has been struggling with the depth of the snow and it is clearly not going away for awhile. We are to get more on Tuesday. For about 90 minutes, I dug through 3-4 feet deep of snow to make a "patio" area so she could just go out the door and potty. I hope my dog knows how much I love her. I dug out about an 8x10 space so I could still watch her from the window and it is almost level with the back step. Using the locking retractable leash on the doorknob with the lead snaked under the door has been pretty effective for letting her out. I get to stand inside while she is outside and if she travels too far, the handle stops her. At least now she doesn't have to swim to her destination. Don't worry, I stopped to rest every now and then. It was a LOT of snow to move by hand.
Afterward, I changed into dry clothes and headed for a WalMart Super store in Somersworth that was supposed to be only 13 miles away. I had hopes of finding draperies I'd read about. Well, over the river and through the woods and 40 minutes later, my GPS got me there. Via Cider Mill Road, which reminded me of Greenbluff and farming areas, complete with ancient cemetaries and many a winding road along the way. I must go back and check these out someday.
Finally, after passing through several other small townships, I arrived. Now, this supercenter is not really what we would consider to be super. It was pretty small. They didn't have a single thing I needed. So, I gravitated to the grocery section and bought my margarine (as back-up), some cilantro, guacamole and soy milk. At the check-out, the cashier asked me very sweetly what cilantro was, that she'd never seen it and what was it used for. I explained I use it in Asian and Mexican dishes. She said her boyfriend is Puerto Rican and did I think he would like it if she got him some? So then we talked about different foods and she told me he makes plaintains sauteed in garlic and they are good. I told her I'd heard of plantains in brown sugar and rum, but not garlic. She asked me how to make that and said she would tell him. Fifteen minutes later, I was able to finish checking out. She had a very strong New England accent and I had to try hard not to smile too much when she was talking about her Portah Rikkin boyfriend-ah.
I noticed a Home Depot across the street and forced myself to go there and buy those darned plastic deflectors for my heating vents. I've forgotten every time I've been in there. I also found window film in a bamboo pattern for my bathroom window that I think will match the colors of the shower curtain I got. I brought it home to try -- don't know why I hadn't thought of this before! Same kind of stuff I used on my entry window; squeegie on and peel off as needed. That way, I don't have to mess with a crtain and can use the header that will be coming in my things, whenever that is.
I also saw some possible thermal drapes for the living room, a nice tweed, but they didn't have enough. So, I made a mental note and moved on...
To Target, which was right next door. Now, this stop made the drive worth it! I found double drapery rods just like what I'd been searching for. I found chocolate thermal drapes, just like I'd been looking for, only there were only enough for one window and they are discontinued. Dammit. I bought them for my bedroom because...I found sheers that have a light paisley pattern to match my chocolate and jade bedroom cover that I'd been saving. So, I think it will tie it all together quite nicely. They did not have enough rods for all the windows I needed so I drove to...you guessed it, Portsmouth! (Actually, Greenland which is right next door to Portsmouth).
That store only had three so I am one short, but they told me I can order more online! I also found sheers in the colors I wanted for inside what ever drapes I end up getting. I tried to go to Home Depot from there, but they were already closed @6:30. So, on to WalMart...
I found some chocolate covered Eclipse (thermal) drapes and they had enough for the living room, so I bought them, but I am holding out for Home Depot to have what I want. Those drapes even have tabs on the backside so when you put the rod through they look like draw curtains. Very nice.
On the way between Greenland and Portsmouth, my GPS helped me get lost. Again, from Portsmouth a different way, I got lost. It was 8:45 before I got home and I was staring to rely on my girl scout skills. A couple of times it told me to go south when I clearly needed to go north, and even when I did what it said, it would say "recalculating," and turn me around again. It's those rotarys, I tell ya!
Tomorrow if my first big day at work, barring the movers suddenly showing up, so I should get back online and try to find that paper to write before I go to bed.
My love to all and special thanks to my darling daughter and friends who worked so hard helping to clean my house to help it sell.
Until next time--
Saturday, January 15, 2011
January 15th - Mall Day
I couldn't post or do homework last night. The landlord's two year old turned off the wireless router so no one had Internet....
When I got up this morning, it was minus 7 (-7!). My car doesn't like it when it gets that cold.
After feeding, exercising and pottying Lily, I took off to run some errands. I did go to the Farmer's Market which was at a huge clam bake restaurant that gets more than 60,000 people in the summer months. There were interesting vendors -- one guy with root vegetables, someone with shrimp, another two had organic meats, another just potatoes and eggs, several soap, lotion and pot pourri makers, some quilts, etc.
I met a couple that lives here in York. They grow their own herbs and make seasoning packets and meat rubs. I bought a couple of them to try and we visited for a bit. The wife thought it very odd that I would come so far just for a job. She then told me there were many different winter farmer's markets and they are all held on different Saturdays so as not to compete with each other. She told me about one coming up that is about four times as big and has better stuff.
Afterward, I stopped in the restaurant's gift shop and bought a clambake sweatshirt at half off, and a lobster cookie cutter. It was just cute, ok?
I decided I needed to seriously think about drapes, so I headed to Portsmouth to the local mall. I spent a couple of hours just walking through. It has all the usual mall stores plus a few unique to New England. Food court was very tiny, but typical. One place sold iced, whipped coffees. No where sold espressos!!!
After deciding I couldn't afford $50 per panel, on sale at Penney's for insulated drapes (it would have cost me over $200 per window), I went into Macy's because they were having an end of season, 50-70% off sale. I snagged myself a few more sweaters and turtlenecks at screaming deals.
This is sweater country. There is even a Himalayan store that only sells Alpaca and other wool sweaters, hats, gloves, ponchos, etc. I was toying with a pair of gloves but didn't want to spend so much. Layering will be key here. My nice new lightweight blouses I got for teaching will NOT cut it here. I would freeze. I will save them for spring weather. I found a heavier blouse at Christopher Banks for only $9!
I finished out the mall excursion with a trip to Staples for a new calendar for my holder. Whenever it gets here, that is...still haven't heard from the movers/.
On the way home, I stopped and had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant I'd been told was excellent. It would seem they are most known for their famous and lengthy margarita and exotic drink list...as I am driving as a stranger in a strange land, I didn't drink. I thought the food was so. I still say the best place is in the Spokane Valley... I ordered fajitas (they only serve cheese enchiladas) and man, were they ever sizzling. I must have done well ordering as it seems that was all anyone was requesting. However, it was a nice break in routine.
Rounding out the evening, I decided to stop and get more Tofutti cones...yes, they are pricey, but what a delicious treat! I also found these as my find of the day:
Please note the flavors:
Wild mushroom, lemon and chive, garlic and parsley and basil. They were all about $3 a bag and made locally. Supposedly cook in 3 minutes.
Well, that's pretty much all I have to report for today. Lily is napping at my feet.I expect a long day tomorrow as I have much homework to catch up on. My brain is on information overload. Did I mention that my things have not yet gotten here....
Thanks to those of you that follow me, and thank you to my beautiful daughter who says she is my friend.
--P
When I got up this morning, it was minus 7 (-7!). My car doesn't like it when it gets that cold.
After feeding, exercising and pottying Lily, I took off to run some errands. I did go to the Farmer's Market which was at a huge clam bake restaurant that gets more than 60,000 people in the summer months. There were interesting vendors -- one guy with root vegetables, someone with shrimp, another two had organic meats, another just potatoes and eggs, several soap, lotion and pot pourri makers, some quilts, etc.
I met a couple that lives here in York. They grow their own herbs and make seasoning packets and meat rubs. I bought a couple of them to try and we visited for a bit. The wife thought it very odd that I would come so far just for a job. She then told me there were many different winter farmer's markets and they are all held on different Saturdays so as not to compete with each other. She told me about one coming up that is about four times as big and has better stuff.
Afterward, I stopped in the restaurant's gift shop and bought a clambake sweatshirt at half off, and a lobster cookie cutter. It was just cute, ok?
I decided I needed to seriously think about drapes, so I headed to Portsmouth to the local mall. I spent a couple of hours just walking through. It has all the usual mall stores plus a few unique to New England. Food court was very tiny, but typical. One place sold iced, whipped coffees. No where sold espressos!!!
After deciding I couldn't afford $50 per panel, on sale at Penney's for insulated drapes (it would have cost me over $200 per window), I went into Macy's because they were having an end of season, 50-70% off sale. I snagged myself a few more sweaters and turtlenecks at screaming deals.
This is sweater country. There is even a Himalayan store that only sells Alpaca and other wool sweaters, hats, gloves, ponchos, etc. I was toying with a pair of gloves but didn't want to spend so much. Layering will be key here. My nice new lightweight blouses I got for teaching will NOT cut it here. I would freeze. I will save them for spring weather. I found a heavier blouse at Christopher Banks for only $9!
I finished out the mall excursion with a trip to Staples for a new calendar for my holder. Whenever it gets here, that is...still haven't heard from the movers/.
On the way home, I stopped and had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant I'd been told was excellent. It would seem they are most known for their famous and lengthy margarita and exotic drink list...as I am driving as a stranger in a strange land, I didn't drink. I thought the food was so. I still say the best place is in the Spokane Valley... I ordered fajitas (they only serve cheese enchiladas) and man, were they ever sizzling. I must have done well ordering as it seems that was all anyone was requesting. However, it was a nice break in routine.
Rounding out the evening, I decided to stop and get more Tofutti cones...yes, they are pricey, but what a delicious treat! I also found these as my find of the day:
Please note the flavors:
Wild mushroom, lemon and chive, garlic and parsley and basil. They were all about $3 a bag and made locally. Supposedly cook in 3 minutes.
Well, that's pretty much all I have to report for today. Lily is napping at my feet.I expect a long day tomorrow as I have much homework to catch up on. My brain is on information overload. Did I mention that my things have not yet gotten here....
Thanks to those of you that follow me, and thank you to my beautiful daughter who says she is my friend.
--P
January 14th
Yay! I got cable today. Now, you might question why I have cable when my things aren't here....I needed to take care of as much business as I could before starting work. In the meantime, I also decided to get a cheap Vizio LCD/LED TV at BJ's for my bedroom. This one is a little bigger than what I had; my old one will be in the guest room. I've also had trouble sleeping, so this afternoon I was able to take a nice nap to the drone of the TV. I'll be spending a lot of time upstairs where it is warmer anyway. Downstairs feels drafty even with the little door blockers. I really have to think about insulated drapes or something soon. If my sewing machine were here, I'd just make them.
The cable install was not without its comedy....the installer was a very funny guy. Another cable guy came with because "he didn't have anything better to do."
In searching for locations to install the jacks and wires, we found a wire in the basement that went absolutely no where. We found another up in a closet, just through a hole in the wall that also went no where. Then we found the actual cable connection behind a plain plate on the wall that had a splitter as if someone had tried to tap someone else's cable before...We also found phone lines that had been jimmy rigged through holes in walls...this is deja vu.
Without doing a whole house wrap on the exterior, I couldn't get a connection for the spare room, but my landlord says he will use the new splitter left by the cable guy to run line through the attic and put something in the other room. He says he wired his whole other house. The other lines were already here when he bought the place so he has no idea what they were trying to do.Then I just have to go get a box. It won't be fancy, but you will have 78 channels when you visit.
The second cable guy asked all about where I was from and told me not to feel bad, that he's lived here 15 years and is still considered an outsider even though he owns property and pays taxes. He tells me most of the people are uppity in Maine and that New Hampshire is a much friendlier place. We'll see.
Lily was in awe of the TV coming on. She stood and stared at it, turning her head from side to side, like it was something she could remember, but from where? She finally curled up on the air mattress and took a nap with me.The empty box from my pantry shelf unit is my stand for now. I plan on using a dish box for my night table. I'm tired of leaning so far off the mattress to turn off my phone, etc. The hilarious thing is that with the mattress on top of the cot, you have to be careful not to get too far off center or the whole thing will dump over. Lily has discovered this just jumping up, and I had the same problem rolling over...I have to be in the middle or it tips off. Still, it beats being on the floor. Unless, of course, I land there.
We still have so much snow and more on the way. The cable guy told me that with last weekend, they already hit 50 inches for the season, as they'd had another bad storm over Christmas. He says any more and it will break records. I told him what people told me about getting 6-12" average snow here on the coast and he laughed. He said no, 50" is about average every year, just more spread out and usually starts in November. He says in between it goes away so it doesn't seem like so much.
Listening to the local news is a lot more accurate than trying to find something online. Snow showers by Sat night and temperatures predicted perhaps as low as -10 F at night. Of course, all my scarves and extra stuff are on the moving truck. I may have to go buy one tomorrow. I have a hat, a pair of gloves and my Uggs. Of course, I brought the thinner down coat for ease in traveling. I bought a couple of cheap sweaters and turtlenecks at WalMart just so I could layer up.
The snow is still so deep out back that Lily just charges out until her lead stops (snow at her shoulders or higher) then she just stands to potty. Why sit when the ground is right there? Then, in she will romp, little snowballs stuck all over her fur. She is really enjoying her new stuffed fox toy and she likes the new food but it makes her a little gassy...
I went by work today to fill out some preliminary paperwork. Monday, I get my mandatory physical and blood work. They do a titer to verify you have all vaccinations unless you have documents to prove it. I don't -- my records are so old.
I found out that once I get my employee number, I will have access to many discounts. For example, cafeteria food, apothecary, dry cleaning, restaurants, and even a 24% savings with ATT! I won't have insurance until mid February as there is a 30 day wait period and actual orientation will not be until much later in the month. However, by Monday afternoon I should be in my new office!I am excited to start.
I'd planned on getting my license and plates today. What a foolish girl I am. This was the ONE day that DMV was closed, the first of their mandated closure dates to save the state money. That means I have to take more time unpaid off to take care of business.
I've felt like I was in limbo -- I've had to wait for my things and now every weekend will be spent putting them away once they do get here (and this may take me years, you know). I had to wait to get insurance confirmation from WA so I could get auto here. I needed Maine insurance before I could get my license, and now they were not open when I could have gone. That storm really delayed a lot of things -- lots of places were closed because of it. I just hope the moving van makes it in one piece!
I opened an account at a local credit union. They have an awesome interest bearing checking system. It's only five minutes from my house and they are open Saturdays, half day. In researching things, I found that almost all banks close by 3 or 4 pm daily here! There is one another that is open until 8pm on Fridays, but their fees were ridiculous. My new job has direct deposit so I probably won't have to go in much anyway. In this area, almost everything closes by 5pm except the grocery and gas stations that close at 9.
Someone asked me the population here -- it is almost 187,000 in York County, which includes many small neighboring townships. So it is a lot like Spokane used to be. Everybody seems to know each other.
Tomorrow I am going to an indoor Farmer's Market that is nearby. There's supposed to be about 50 vendors with produce and crafts. Should be interesting. In the winter it will be twice month and in warm weather, every weekend outside. I love Farmer's Markets!
Well, I need to go do some online studies on Health Informatics, upstairs where it is warmer and there is TV.
Until later ---
Thursday, January 13, 2011
All is not unlucky on the 13th
I needed to attend to some business today. I found out that State Farm, my auto insurance carrier, does not do business in the state of Maine. Funny thing is, there are agents right across the river in New Hampshire. They just can't write policies for here. State Farm simply does not do business here.
At any rate, that meant changing carriers and I had no idea where to start. Wanting to keep business local, I went to an insurance agency in York. The agent ran some numbers and because I would be combining it with renter's insurance, I got an extra discount. The end result is actually better coverage than I had with a lower deductible AND $200 a year less! So car insurance is $620 for the whole year and my renter's insurance was only $200 for the whole year and covers everything -- fire, flood, theft, anything that happens in the apartment, as well as anything Lily might do. :). Even if the basement floods...
Tomorrow I go to get my driver's license. I have to surrender my WA license. I'm told it will be about $50 and should only involve an eye test. I have to go to Kennebunkport to get it, abut 30 minutes away. After that, I have 30 days to change plates and I am told they are prorated by value of the vehicle, so I should expect about $445 in fees...far cry from what I was used to...
The insurance agent told me about another great Chinese place, so of course, I had to check it out. It's about 10 minutes from where I live. The take out prices for lunches are pretty good, and run all weekend. Dinner prices are higher. I tried the chicken in black bean sauce and a small serving of won ton soup. At this place, you have to order and pay for rice on the side. Food was indeed good, with plenty left over for tomorrow. When I get brave enough to pay for it, I may try something with lobster in it.
I called the cable company today....online they could not recognize my address. Time Warner says the duplex is known as left and right, not A & B. Because I couldn't get the system to recognize the address, I couldn't take advantage of a few extra dollars of savings by arranging it myself. The cable guy took care of everything and not only that, they can come tomorrow for installation! Online, it would have been two weeks out. I just didn't want to miss work after having so much time off.So, I guess it's worth a couple of extra bucks. Since my landlord provides Internet and I don't really need a separate phone, I am saving about $60/mo in cable bills than if I'd taken their three on one package. Their rates are still higher than Comcast, dammit. At least I will have my HBO and Showtime....
I went to a place called Stonewall Kitchens today. Very famous place in York for food products they make and sell, and they sell nationally. Started by a group of chefs in 1991. I can't eat a lot of the soups and sauces, but some of the dressings, jams, chutneys and mustards are within what I can eat. Of course, I had to sample them all.... I did come home with some nifty tri-color couscous and a pasta blend that has couscous, orzo, quinoa, and split peas -- cheap and it looked interesting. Other things were quite expensive...$10 for salad dressing? $8 for jam? I don't think so.... They also offer cooking classes at their special huge cooking school. As much as I would like to take a class on the weekend sometime, everything involves that evil product butter....and the classes are $50! They are observation and sample classes, not full meals. They have a cafe where you can get panini's and soup -- let me tell you, panini's are HUGE here and can be found everywhere, even freshly made at the convenience stores.
Lily has been longing for her toys...all she has is a couple of bones which she rigorously gnaws on, and her little stuffed bone she had as a baby. She sleeps with that. Because our delivery will be so delayed now, I stopped and got her a new stuffed fox with a squeaker. She has been happily pouncing on it all evening. I am also running low on her dog food which cannot be bought here (Costco is 60 miles and I'm not going in the snow...). So, I found a high protein (30%) called Nutrisca that has no grains, only chicken, chickpea and potato, as well as other veggies.
I blended a little into her food to stretch it tonight. She carefully picked out all the new food nuggets and put them on the floor next to her bowl. She then ate her regular food and came back to the new food as if it was dessert. She is currently napping contentedly on the kitchen floor. I hope it sits well for her...
She has developed this habit of falling asleep ON my feet, up on the air mattress. She stays like that for hours and then goes to her mat. I didn't tell you, but yesterday I sprained my ankle while shoveling snow. I missed the front step that was hidden in snow and boink, the ankle twisted and immediately swelled up. I've been taking Aleve and can put weight on it now, but the weight of Lily did NOT help it at all last night!
She is so sweet in the morning. She hears my alarm go off and hops up on the bed, full length to greet me. She snuggles that big head of hers on my chest and licks my chin. She is just so affectionate! Then she bounds down the stairs to wait by the back door to go out. The snow is still very deep so she sort of leaps up and down in it until she finds a spot. She has her sense of privacy, though...I was standing at the door and she'd started to go, saw me and took off for a darker corner to finish up.
Today, the sun was actually out. It was a brisk 26-28 though, with winds. We are supposed to get down into single digits at night the next few days, with another storm coming on Saturday. Everyone says there have been more storms this season than ever before. Geez, I hope I didn't bring those with me.
New view from the kitchen window, the day after the storm. Note the blue sky above, and yes, the VERY deep snow which is halfway up the trees.
Well, I need to get busy and do some work on the online class....kind of dry stuff bout the origin of computers and how this all relates to electronic medical records.
Until next time...and I'm starting to be on EST -- it's 9pm here, yawn....
At any rate, that meant changing carriers and I had no idea where to start. Wanting to keep business local, I went to an insurance agency in York. The agent ran some numbers and because I would be combining it with renter's insurance, I got an extra discount. The end result is actually better coverage than I had with a lower deductible AND $200 a year less! So car insurance is $620 for the whole year and my renter's insurance was only $200 for the whole year and covers everything -- fire, flood, theft, anything that happens in the apartment, as well as anything Lily might do. :). Even if the basement floods...
Tomorrow I go to get my driver's license. I have to surrender my WA license. I'm told it will be about $50 and should only involve an eye test. I have to go to Kennebunkport to get it, abut 30 minutes away. After that, I have 30 days to change plates and I am told they are prorated by value of the vehicle, so I should expect about $445 in fees...far cry from what I was used to...
The insurance agent told me about another great Chinese place, so of course, I had to check it out. It's about 10 minutes from where I live. The take out prices for lunches are pretty good, and run all weekend. Dinner prices are higher. I tried the chicken in black bean sauce and a small serving of won ton soup. At this place, you have to order and pay for rice on the side. Food was indeed good, with plenty left over for tomorrow. When I get brave enough to pay for it, I may try something with lobster in it.
I called the cable company today....online they could not recognize my address. Time Warner says the duplex is known as left and right, not A & B. Because I couldn't get the system to recognize the address, I couldn't take advantage of a few extra dollars of savings by arranging it myself. The cable guy took care of everything and not only that, they can come tomorrow for installation! Online, it would have been two weeks out. I just didn't want to miss work after having so much time off.So, I guess it's worth a couple of extra bucks. Since my landlord provides Internet and I don't really need a separate phone, I am saving about $60/mo in cable bills than if I'd taken their three on one package. Their rates are still higher than Comcast, dammit. At least I will have my HBO and Showtime....
I went to a place called Stonewall Kitchens today. Very famous place in York for food products they make and sell, and they sell nationally. Started by a group of chefs in 1991. I can't eat a lot of the soups and sauces, but some of the dressings, jams, chutneys and mustards are within what I can eat. Of course, I had to sample them all.... I did come home with some nifty tri-color couscous and a pasta blend that has couscous, orzo, quinoa, and split peas -- cheap and it looked interesting. Other things were quite expensive...$10 for salad dressing? $8 for jam? I don't think so.... They also offer cooking classes at their special huge cooking school. As much as I would like to take a class on the weekend sometime, everything involves that evil product butter....and the classes are $50! They are observation and sample classes, not full meals. They have a cafe where you can get panini's and soup -- let me tell you, panini's are HUGE here and can be found everywhere, even freshly made at the convenience stores.
Lily has been longing for her toys...all she has is a couple of bones which she rigorously gnaws on, and her little stuffed bone she had as a baby. She sleeps with that. Because our delivery will be so delayed now, I stopped and got her a new stuffed fox with a squeaker. She has been happily pouncing on it all evening. I am also running low on her dog food which cannot be bought here (Costco is 60 miles and I'm not going in the snow...). So, I found a high protein (30%) called Nutrisca that has no grains, only chicken, chickpea and potato, as well as other veggies.
I blended a little into her food to stretch it tonight. She carefully picked out all the new food nuggets and put them on the floor next to her bowl. She then ate her regular food and came back to the new food as if it was dessert. She is currently napping contentedly on the kitchen floor. I hope it sits well for her...
She has developed this habit of falling asleep ON my feet, up on the air mattress. She stays like that for hours and then goes to her mat. I didn't tell you, but yesterday I sprained my ankle while shoveling snow. I missed the front step that was hidden in snow and boink, the ankle twisted and immediately swelled up. I've been taking Aleve and can put weight on it now, but the weight of Lily did NOT help it at all last night!
She is so sweet in the morning. She hears my alarm go off and hops up on the bed, full length to greet me. She snuggles that big head of hers on my chest and licks my chin. She is just so affectionate! Then she bounds down the stairs to wait by the back door to go out. The snow is still very deep so she sort of leaps up and down in it until she finds a spot. She has her sense of privacy, though...I was standing at the door and she'd started to go, saw me and took off for a darker corner to finish up.
Today, the sun was actually out. It was a brisk 26-28 though, with winds. We are supposed to get down into single digits at night the next few days, with another storm coming on Saturday. Everyone says there have been more storms this season than ever before. Geez, I hope I didn't bring those with me.
New view from the kitchen window, the day after the storm. Note the blue sky above, and yes, the VERY deep snow which is halfway up the trees.
Well, I need to get busy and do some work on the online class....kind of dry stuff bout the origin of computers and how this all relates to electronic medical records.
Until next time...and I'm starting to be on EST -- it's 9pm here, yawn....
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
January 12th
Today was snow-in day. I worked on some class stuff and washed my socks out in the sink. Watched it snow like hell.
The moving van driver called me. I'd been under the impression he was well on his way, but he tells me he was just leaving Montana...Seems he had a load to pick up in Seattle first that is going to NJ and will be dropped off first. He thinks, weather permitting, he will make it here by the 17th. I think I will be lucky if he makes it. Far cry from what the moving coordinator said...
I sent my new employer a note advising that I could either start earlier if needed, but may have to leave to receive shipment of goods. Nothing about this move has been as the moving company had said it would be.
Now, I wish I'd stayed in Spokane longer, hung out with friends and cleaned up after myself. What a mess-up!
The moving van driver called me. I'd been under the impression he was well on his way, but he tells me he was just leaving Montana...Seems he had a load to pick up in Seattle first that is going to NJ and will be dropped off first. He thinks, weather permitting, he will make it here by the 17th. I think I will be lucky if he makes it. Far cry from what the moving coordinator said...
I sent my new employer a note advising that I could either start earlier if needed, but may have to leave to receive shipment of goods. Nothing about this move has been as the moving company had said it would be.
Now, I wish I'd stayed in Spokane longer, hung out with friends and cleaned up after myself. What a mess-up!
January 8-10 2011
I decided to get out a bit and get a few things for the apartment. Thanks to my handy Garmin, I started exploring.
I've found some great new things along the way... such as these dairy free treats from BJs -- all natural and in their natural containers: pineapple, coconut, orange, papaya, etc. They taste great!
I found Black spaghetti (yes - black), soy spaghetti, Maine Sea Salt and whole grain vermicilli (chinese rice type noodles).....
I found these ceramic knives at BJ's -- man are they ever sharp!
Hannaford's comical shopping bags ... "Tabouleh, jolly ranchers & anchovies...Hey, it's your bag, how you fill it up is up to you."
My first Nor'easter....more than three feet of snow today, all day. They say it is unusual for here -- average snow fall is 6" on the coast. We had the combination for a "perfect storm" which was a storm from the south colliding with one from the north. Boy, did they ever bang up! Drifts are 4-5' -- yes, FEET. When Lily goes out, she comes back in looking like a frosted cookie!
View from my kitchen window -- that's snow blowing, not ice on window. That's how hard it was snowing!
My car, revealed! I had to dig it out and warm it up. Then my landlord came to plow. About a half hour later, he cleared a spot so I could back up. He says he's never seen so much snow here...
It seems the best shopping areas are in the next state over -- New Hampshire. There, you can find anything you need. I found a health food store, Wal-Mart, BJ's (like a smaller Costco) and several other nifty spots. Yes, I am a proud member of BJ's...
I'd left my dishes behind for a friend and was in search of some nice white square ones I'd seen at Wal-Mart in Spokane. My daughter turned me on to them. They are oven proof, microwavable and dishwasher proof.
My new dishes: The basic set came from WalMart, but the smaller pieces from Crate and Barrel.
No one in Maine had ever heard of these dishes...they thought I was crazy. I looked online and couldn't find them. I was so disappointed!
Finally, I went to a store in Seabrook, NH. I wasn't really looking, but there they were! This was the only Wal-Mart to carry them. Happily, I returned home with my purchases.
The next day, I returned to Seabrook (part of the Seacoast area). I took my time to navigate and found some other stores of interest. Stopped in a grocery for a few items, only to find that steaks sell for $21.99/pound or $16.99/pound here! While in Market Basket, they advertised a quick sale -- New York strips for $3.99/pound for a short time only! I ran and got four to put in the freezer. Some things are very inexpensive compared to where I come from; on the other hand, certain things are downright expensive -- the margarine I use because of allergies sells for $5.49 here -- I used to pay about $2 for it.
While passing through the Hamptons, I stopped at a great Chinese restaurant. I had some chow fun, and boy was it delicious! Feeling eyes stare at me, I turned around and noticed the chef was anxiously awaiting my reaction. Almost no English was spoken here, so I gave a thumbs up and he bowed many times over, grateful for my response. The food was excellent and I will definitely be returning.
It is evident that I am the stranger in a strange land. Without even seeing my license plates, people ask where I am from because of my "accent." They are in awe that I've come from so far away. Those that have met Lily love her to pieces.
I find that people here drive faster than the posted limit -- by a lot. Maybe 80 in a 65? I'm doing the speed limit because of my out of state plates, but they zoom by. They have these things called rotarys -- in the middle of the freeway! They are like a round-a-bout that breaks traffic up. There are arms to turn off on that then take you other directions. Miss one and you are sunk. People drive very fast on these, as well.
Gas prices are all over -- $3.21 in York, but $3.05 just 10 miles away. I'll be doing comparative shopping, that's for sure!
I knew the storm was coming and I was running out of clothes....went to the Kittery Outlet Malls which are only about 20 minutes away! I got some jeans at the Gap, some cheap turtlenecks at Wally World, extra dish pieces at Crate and Barrel and had a great coffee at Starbucks. They don't have coffee stands here like we do. It's hard to find a place for a cup, other than a convenience stop. I will say, however, that most convenience stores sell about 20 varieties of coffee at each one!
I found this great Blue Crab salsa and vibrant pasta at Kitchen Collection and the Christmas Tree Store, and even a keychain that matches Lily's leash. I guess I belong to her now.
Hannaford's comical shopping bags ... "Tabouleh, jolly ranchers & anchovies...Hey, it's your bag, how you fill it up is up to you."
My car, revealed! I had to dig it out and warm it up. Then my landlord came to plow. About a half hour later, he cleared a spot so I could back up. He says he's never seen so much snow here...
Tofutti makes ice cream cones...dairy free and yummy!
It seems the best shopping areas are in the next state over -- New Hampshire. There, you can find anything you need. I found a health food store, Wal-Mart, BJ's (like a smaller Costco) and several other nifty spots. Yes, I am a proud member of BJ's...
I'd left my dishes behind for a friend and was in search of some nice white square ones I'd seen at Wal-Mart in Spokane. My daughter turned me on to them. They are oven proof, microwavable and dishwasher proof.
No one in Maine had ever heard of these dishes...they thought I was crazy. I looked online and couldn't find them. I was so disappointed!
Finally, I went to a store in Seabrook, NH. I wasn't really looking, but there they were! This was the only Wal-Mart to carry them. Happily, I returned home with my purchases.
The next day, I returned to Seabrook (part of the Seacoast area). I took my time to navigate and found some other stores of interest. Stopped in a grocery for a few items, only to find that steaks sell for $21.99/pound or $16.99/pound here! While in Market Basket, they advertised a quick sale -- New York strips for $3.99/pound for a short time only! I ran and got four to put in the freezer. Some things are very inexpensive compared to where I come from; on the other hand, certain things are downright expensive -- the margarine I use because of allergies sells for $5.49 here -- I used to pay about $2 for it.
While passing through the Hamptons, I stopped at a great Chinese restaurant. I had some chow fun, and boy was it delicious! Feeling eyes stare at me, I turned around and noticed the chef was anxiously awaiting my reaction. Almost no English was spoken here, so I gave a thumbs up and he bowed many times over, grateful for my response. The food was excellent and I will definitely be returning.
It is evident that I am the stranger in a strange land. Without even seeing my license plates, people ask where I am from because of my "accent." They are in awe that I've come from so far away. Those that have met Lily love her to pieces.
I find that people here drive faster than the posted limit -- by a lot. Maybe 80 in a 65? I'm doing the speed limit because of my out of state plates, but they zoom by. They have these things called rotarys -- in the middle of the freeway! They are like a round-a-bout that breaks traffic up. There are arms to turn off on that then take you other directions. Miss one and you are sunk. People drive very fast on these, as well.
Gas prices are all over -- $3.21 in York, but $3.05 just 10 miles away. I'll be doing comparative shopping, that's for sure!
I knew the storm was coming and I was running out of clothes....went to the Kittery Outlet Malls which are only about 20 minutes away! I got some jeans at the Gap, some cheap turtlenecks at Wally World, extra dish pieces at Crate and Barrel and had a great coffee at Starbucks. They don't have coffee stands here like we do. It's hard to find a place for a cup, other than a convenience stop. I will say, however, that most convenience stores sell about 20 varieties of coffee at each one!
January 6th...the apartment looks different from the pictures...
I awoke, admittedly a bit crabby from the day before, only to find my apartment was in need of some serious attention. Grease covered every cabinet. The bathtub did not drain, water was coming out from under the refrigerator, the rooms were cold, there weren't window coverings everywhere, basement is dark and spider webby, bathrooms smell a little like pee....
My new landlord has been gracious about attending to things. We discovered the water was from the dishwasher -- the hose had been disconnected completely and leaked when he ran it. Propane heat is new to me....it takes time to warm up a place. Other things will be fixed over the next couple of weeks.
You see, I just left behind a beautiful home that I'd spent the past few years remodeling. New bathrooms, new lights, new kitchen, new furnace, new fence, new roof....new everything. I felt like I was being punished by being thrust back into the 80's with ball lights and things in disrepair.
Lily decided she didn't like going out at night because we back up against a forest and the trees creek at night. Once I left some of her "specimens" out, she began to realize an area was hers and it would be ok. She can't seem to get used to the noise next door. She is used to living with me and my daughter, and can't figure out where the strange noises are coming from, like footsteps on stairs or the like.
Tomorrow will be another day.
My new landlord has been gracious about attending to things. We discovered the water was from the dishwasher -- the hose had been disconnected completely and leaked when he ran it. Propane heat is new to me....it takes time to warm up a place. Other things will be fixed over the next couple of weeks.
You see, I just left behind a beautiful home that I'd spent the past few years remodeling. New bathrooms, new lights, new kitchen, new furnace, new fence, new roof....new everything. I felt like I was being punished by being thrust back into the 80's with ball lights and things in disrepair.
Lily decided she didn't like going out at night because we back up against a forest and the trees creek at night. Once I left some of her "specimens" out, she began to realize an area was hers and it would be ok. She can't seem to get used to the noise next door. She is used to living with me and my daughter, and can't figure out where the strange noises are coming from, like footsteps on stairs or the like.
Tomorrow will be another day.
January 5th - Touchdown in Maine!
I arrived in Boston January 5th, 2011, my large, Goldendoodle dog, Lily alongside. This was going to be quite the adventure...
Lily and I had chosen to relocate when the physician I worked for in Spokane, WA had elected to retire rather suddenly. The job market in Spokane was slim and I was exploring every option. One day, I read a post from a medical group in Maine searching for someone just like me.
Maine....hadn't thought of Maine. I'd heard it was lovely. My son went to school in Boston and I'd visited him and liked the east coast...but, Maine? I was called for an interview and the next thing you know, making plans to move from Spokane, WA all across the country to the east coast.
My household goods were packed January 3rd, loaded the 4th and Lily and I few out on the 5th. Boston was the nearest airport that could safely handle animals during winter. She was a champ and arrived hardly worse for wear. I have to say we only hit turbulence just outside of Boston, so the rest of the way was easy. Alaska Airlines was great at tending to her and gave me a "I'm safely onboard" token when we changed planes so I knew she was ok.
Boston was pretty cold -- very windy. My car, which had been shipped a week earlier, was still not there, so I proceeded to rent one. Just as I was about to pull away, I got a call from the car carrier saying he was only 90 minutes away. Well, it didn't make sense to drive the hour to York and drive right back, so I canceled the rental and waited. And waited. And waited....FIVE hours later, I got my car. This put me in at 1 am to get my key from my new landlord I'd never met for the new apartment I'd never seen.
That night was a bit chilly -- apartment was cold and the air mattress I'd brought wouldn't inflate properly. Not to mention that I'd left Spokane with a bad case of bronchitis....
Lily and I had chosen to relocate when the physician I worked for in Spokane, WA had elected to retire rather suddenly. The job market in Spokane was slim and I was exploring every option. One day, I read a post from a medical group in Maine searching for someone just like me.
Maine....hadn't thought of Maine. I'd heard it was lovely. My son went to school in Boston and I'd visited him and liked the east coast...but, Maine? I was called for an interview and the next thing you know, making plans to move from Spokane, WA all across the country to the east coast.
My household goods were packed January 3rd, loaded the 4th and Lily and I few out on the 5th. Boston was the nearest airport that could safely handle animals during winter. She was a champ and arrived hardly worse for wear. I have to say we only hit turbulence just outside of Boston, so the rest of the way was easy. Alaska Airlines was great at tending to her and gave me a "I'm safely onboard" token when we changed planes so I knew she was ok.
Boston was pretty cold -- very windy. My car, which had been shipped a week earlier, was still not there, so I proceeded to rent one. Just as I was about to pull away, I got a call from the car carrier saying he was only 90 minutes away. Well, it didn't make sense to drive the hour to York and drive right back, so I canceled the rental and waited. And waited. And waited....FIVE hours later, I got my car. This put me in at 1 am to get my key from my new landlord I'd never met for the new apartment I'd never seen.
That night was a bit chilly -- apartment was cold and the air mattress I'd brought wouldn't inflate properly. Not to mention that I'd left Spokane with a bad case of bronchitis....
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