Only a month ago I was describing what I was hoping would be a pleasant adventure (new job, house hunting, moving, etc). Today we are a little less than halfway through the adventure and so far, so good.
I have completed two weeks of work at my new posting and work is going well. In fact it's going very well. I arrived during a fairly busy part of the year for western fire and well over half of my peeps were on out-of-forest assignments. This has allowed me to meet folks incrementally and really learn a bit about them. All said and done there are 26 people on the org chart beneath me, with another couple informal assignees for fun I guess. So meeting them one by one has been a real boon.
When not meeting people my boss has had me driving around the forest and getting to know the roads. I have taken a handful of pictures and as soon as I find my cable I will be uploading. As you might imagine there are some stellar vistas, particularly in the Red Feather area.
House hunting has been kinda rocky. We have placed offers on four different homes and gone to inspection on two. With any luck we will be taking possession of this charmer on August 18th. The actual address is 2937 Mountain View, but because Google Maps - Street View is approximate I tweaked it to give you the right view. It's the split level on the south-east corner of Mountain View and Princeton. I also have a pile of photos of interior and backyard which will have to wait until I can find my cable.
The adventure of moving will be getting into full swing tomorrow (Sunday). It's a sorta funny story actually. At the time that I was applying for my Transfer of Station benefits, I indicated that I had what they call an 'extra stop': my storage unit in Indiana. My counselor assured me that although we would have to pay for it out of our own pocket, it rarely cost more than $50. A month later I got the estimate: $3000. Naturally I was concerned so I called my counselor back. While that price will not change, I was informed that I could avoid it altogether if I brought my stuff up to Chicago for the movers on Monday. I was told that I would be reimbursed for the cost of a rental truck. And a dolly. And blankets. AND, if I hired anyone I would be reimbursed for labor. Naturally at this point I wanted to know why the &#$% they wouldn't just pay the moving company to do it.
The outlook/schedule for the next week or so: today we have our shower & party, Sunday I load the storage unit. Monday the packers arrive. Wednesday the loaders arrive. Thursday we get on the road and Friday evening we arrive in Longmont to begin our new life.
Wish us luck!
