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 ---

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....

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!

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 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.

 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...

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.

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!

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.

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....