we're here!!

Hi everyone!

We don't have wireless access at home yet, despite the fact that Dave IS a rocket-scientist, with no off position (mentally).

And, the non-genius partner (moi) is the one who has to resolve the technological issues and get things up and running this week! That will surely be a farce.

So--consequently, it's been hard to get to a computer to update the blog! I promise more photos soon!

So--to summarize---
~ WE'RE HERE and we don't have to drive anymore. Thank God.
~ We cleaned all the bugs off the car. Ick. Double ick.
~ The DC Metro area is enormous. E*N*O*R*M*O*U*S. Like nothing I've ever seen.
~ Our new house & the Haymarket neighborhood is beautiful and we love it.
~ Our temporary apartment has very soft carpet, and the temporary furniture is comfy.
~ Our dogs love all the space and the long walks again.
~ We found a super fun burrito place today that lets you sample 80 types of hot sauce.

So--life is good!

Though, the first night was very, very, very sad! I already miss Seattle and my friends. I thought I'd be OK--because I don't even get to see them that much anyway. But, I love them :( Sad.

And--this area FEELS like the parts of Pittsburgh and North Carolina that I DIDN'T really like--i.e.--it's SUPER HOT, it's sprawling, and enormous, and brick, people are STEELER fans, the locals have mullets (eek) [sorry] and they have things like cars (Subaru Brats) they've spray painted with matte black spray paint. (triple eeek). Yes, I'm serious. I have that snobbishness that comes from having moved a lot and had a really good college education. And, yes, I probably am going to hell.

OH! Wait, I forgot, there are monolithic structures devoted to Baptists and Catholics--and so I'm just waiting for the casual, start-a-conversation, be-polite question "...so, where do you go to church..." Which, is harmless, and should be flattering, because it means someone is interested enough in me to engage me in conversation.

I just remember North Carolina, where the WRONG answer, or no answer became a very ackward moment really quickly and pretty much cut off the conversation right then and there. Perhaps this time I can do better with evasive manuevering.

So--lots of bittersweetness. LOTS. However, the rinky dink Seattle that 12 years ago had been so charming, and gentle weather-wise, and crowd-wise, and traffic-wise, where I didn't need to be worth 3 million dollars to have a nice life has changed considerably. Somehow the weather became severe (global warming?). Somehow the traffic became oppressive. Somehow, my personal success did not earn me a house to have a family live comfortably, and somehow--a lot of THE ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL people I know who live there are diminishing and moving out. So--my idyllic hamlet is not to be.

AND--given everything--the spectre of having to learn to country-line dance (SORRY STEPH!), the ability to afford paying for school out of pocket, having a 4 bedroom house, getting Dave the world-class school opportunity, and getting to stay home to raise a child and help my mom, and being able to raise our child near family---we made the very best choice for our situation. So--that's all we can do. And things always change.

But--I'll tell ya--the East Coast is TOUGH emotionally. :( :( :(

But, I can't wait to see some people I haven't seen in months and years and possibly ever! Like long lost cousins. So--we're going to make the best of it!

In baby news, I'm bursting out of all my clothes and it's hard for me to do much of anything except grunt and complain. 8 WEEKS LEFT!

WE MISS YOU REALLY, REALLY, so please email us at schleiferkin@gmail.com.