thebaldgeek

I will get back to the last week of Australia……well, I plan to……
But in the mean time, we have made it though our first day…..it was pretty smooth by all accounts.
We left LA a little latter than I was planing / hoping, the jet lag kicked in pretty good at 1am (7am Aust), so Freddy and I did not get much sleep. The drive down was good and smooth. We spent a lot of our time looking at cars and seeing what we liked the look of, it was hard to tell much just by looking, Im still very unsure what sort of car to buy.

We filled out a heap of paperwork and got walked through the apartment. Barbara came down from Opto22 to help us out and welcome us, it was great to meet her and have the welcome. The unit is fantastic and we are all very happy with it. Double glazed windows all ’round is a nice treat we were not expecting. It seems pretty quite, but the proof will be latter when we are trying to sleep……..
We spent the day ’survival’ shopping, that is to say, we only bought things we really needed, shower curtains, shampoo, kitchen bin, toothpaste and the like. We have joined up at CostCo and Vons, so that was really easy. We went to Verizon to get some cell phones, but they turned us back since we do not have a SSN yet. They are the only ones to reject us for not having one, its both good and bad.
We went to the local mall and bought a cordless phone for the VOIP, I hope the cable guy comes tomorrow as booked and that the cable ‘just works’. (Using some guys unsecured wireless to get this blog out).
We stood up to eat our chicken and salad dinner, so chairs and a table are on the list, but Freddy does not want to buy just anything, but will take her time and get something that will work here and other places (should we move in 6 months).

Thats about it. Was a good day and we are set up for basic living.
Time to make the beds and have our first nights sleep here, hope its a jet lag free one!

March 25th, 2008

Yeah! We have cable…..!!!! This is a good thing, because we all have a nice dose of jet lag, so at 1am local time, we were all goofing off and talking and stuff, wide, wide, wide awake…. I have never had jet lag on any of the other trips we have done, so I have no idea what is different this time (other than a little stress).
The night went ok. There is a fan or something running that causes a drumming noise in our bedroom wall, thats pretty annoying, its a lot louder than the muted traffic noise (love double glazed windows (Dan, you the man!)). Im sure I will get used to it.
Other than that and the fact that it seems like the fridge hardly ever cuts off (I have turned it up and it seems a lot better), the first night went pretty well.

I saw a humming bird this morning, Freddy is ticked that she did not see it, but then you dont see much when you are fast asleep at 11am do ya??
The cable guy was late, but we are up and running, and thats the main thing. I am about to plug in the VOIP phone in a moment, so that will be the next big leg up, being able to call people! (And have Auzis call us!)

But, right now, we are off to try and get a PO box and open a bank account………

Yesterday was a big day. We got furniture and I dropped into Opto22.

We got up early, which given our ever lingering jet lag is no simple feat. Anyway, we were up early to call a removals company to see if they could shift the bulk of the furniture we had bought some time ago though a friend at Opto22. They were booked up and could not take us at such short notice, so we googled U-Haul and headed off to get a truck.
We found a place down town in short order, and for about 80 bucks found ourselfs heading down the freeway in a nice big F350 V8 powered truck. (Photos coming).
I’m really glad that we did not get any one to do the job for us, it was so nice to meet Bo, the lady we were buying the stuff off, and her place in Fallbrook was just so pretty it alone was worth the drive.
Bo was so kind, she ended up giving us some extra sheets and blankets, which we so badly needed, it was just fantastic.
We bought some extra stuff off her while we were there, a small tv, vcr, table and 4 outdoor chairs.
It was not that hard for Freddy and I to unload and bring the stuff upstairs, tiring, but not hard. The apartment now looks like a home.
I can add, typing this the next day, that the bed was very comfortable and is going to be something to look forward to at night. (Not that the borrowed air mattress was not welcome!).
We have been hitting up ‘Craigslist’ for all sorts of things, its the American version of our Trading Post, but all on line and often with photos. We found this really nice looking computer desk, a bedroom suite and dining table. I goofed a little and discovered that the numbers shown are not phone numbers, but add numbers. So we did not get the stuff while we had the truck.
Only one guy got back to me in time for us to get it yesterday. Ken was selling the computer desk. He emailed me his home phone and I called him on the VOIP (which has an annoying ~1sec delay) and we arranged to meet at the storage unit where the desk was.
It was a beautiful desk and when he dropped the price with out me asking, it was sold! Trouble was, it would not all fit in my car, no trouble for Ken, he offered to help with the bit that would not fit.
So we loaded up into the two cars and he followed me back to the apartment. Once we got there, he would not hear of leaving it, he then helped move it up the stairs! So, while the wives stood and chatted in the carpark, Ken and I did all the heaving lifting, (and let me tell you, this is one quality desk! It weights far more than the 3 seat sofa bed we got, Freddy and I are going to need help move out with this one!) While at each end of the desk the blokes got talking….. I found out that he is an air traffic controller at Miramar air force base. Wow, what a cool job!
Anyway, desk in apartment, he then asked that when I get a bit more settled we give them a call and do dinner some time…..think I will, super nice family! (Super nice desk, wait till you see the photos, going to be hard to keep it clean, but it looks too nice to use!)
I then went down to Opto22 to see the accounts people to set up how I am going to get paid….no social number was throwing their payroll company.
Well, what a welcome, before I got to accounts I had caught up with Benson, and he told be about one of the projects I will be working on, lets just say that I am very, very, VERY, V!-E!-R!-Y! excited, it is ssssoooo ‘me’ that I am just busting! He also showed me some of the other things that I might get mixed up in, now I really cant wait to get started!
I also met a bunch of new people and said hi to many that I have got to know over the years, they were all so excited about me joining and just so warm and friendly, it was such a positive time for me that I was bouncing off the roof for hours latter!

Ok, long blog, but it was a big day. The place looks like home and I cant wait to start work! But, wait I must, today, we are off to get a social security number. Yippy (or not…watch this space).

We also went to the AAA (car club) for renters insurance (ie, just contents) and to ask about car insurance. Yikes! I knew that people here love to sue, but no one I think could really prepare me for the task of getting car insurance………. In a nut shell, you have to be covered for every little thing. For example, if you damage a road sign, the state sues you for the money to repair it. If you are taking little Johny home after playing after school with your son, and you are in an accident, even if he is not hurt, just upset, then his parents can, (and from what the girl at the AAA said) and probably will, sue for damages, so you need to be covered for that as well……On and on it goes.
The one good bit of advice she did give was to wait ~1 second after the light goes green before you drive off, Temecula is known for its red light runners, if you wait, you have a better chance of not being hit.
The other interesting thing (not that we need this for a little while) is that you should get your kids to go for their license as soon as they are able, ie when they turn 16. Even if they don’t drive (which is recommended as insurance for them is insane), get them on the books, apparently their (and every one else’s) insurance costs are linked to the last 3 years driving history. So if they get their license, but don’t drive, you don’t have to insure them, then when they do drive at 18 ish, its crazy expensive rather than GDP of a small country expensive to insure them.

All that aside, I have spent about 2 hours on the net trying to find a car to buy and still are not really any closer to having one to look at.
The  good news is that Freddy has started driving. Shes pretty nervous (as are her passengers) but, its a start, a little each day is the goal.

Im typing this on Friday morning, only 4 more days till I start work. Still lots to do….. Lets see what today holds!