home again, home again?

At least where home is for another 3 weeks. I started packing today... and already have made a few random finds - either "what the heck is this?" or "so that's where that went". My stack of clothes that will not be making the trip with us is getting much larger as well.

We found a place to live - yay! It's not ideal, but it's certainly good enough. It's a one bedroom apartment over a garage - no neighbors under or over us - with the bedroom in what would otherwise be the attic. Hopefully the sloping ceiling won't make us too crazy. Might be better if it weren't painted dark red... but hey, I'm not really complaining.

We also have a full-sized refrigerator, a gas stove, a wood stove in the living room, and since the place usually comes fully furnished we also get a big TV with DVD player. So my little 13 incher can go into storage for the time being. The clincher for this place, though, was the deck and big back yard with the path leading to the ultimate frisbee field and the trail system complete with swimming hole. Jay will be able to bike to school when the weather is good, though he might not want to when the weather is very warm. Stickiness - ick.

The lady we're renting from lives in the house up front. She teaches math at one of the private high schools and also at the college. And oddly enough, happens to sideline as a wedding planner. One stop shopping, so to speak. She lives with a big lab mix (part bear, maybe - BIG dog) named Max and he's part of the reason that we got the place. Evidently, the other couple who had looked at the apartment had two smaller dogs, and Max didn't much care for them. So perhaps it's just as well that we decided to hold off on the dog issue.

We also took precedence over two women who were wanting to rent the place because, as Doreen put it, it's really meant for one person or a couple. Just gets ugly with two guys or two girls... well, unless they're a couple, of course.

I think that was when Jay and I realized that we were no longer in Utah.

Like Utah, everyone was extremely polite and friendly. Very helpful and welcoming. However, instead of being the result of Church influence, it's because you can't afford to be rude in a town that small. It'll be an adjustment, but not as difficult a one as some people seem to think. Of course, I still don't think I'd want to spend the rest of my life there. But a handful of years might be fun.