12 July 2010

The Craziness of Getting Settled

Alternate Titles: This would be so much easier if we weren't all sick, or The First Weeks in State College.

We all arrived sick, sinus funk and deep cough. Lived in a hotel for the first 5 days in town. Tried contacting a bazillion people about housing the first day, but it was Sunday. Had no place to live. Went to an outdoorsy store on Monday, J talked to people about meager climbing locally. Heard back from a guy about subletting his apartment for July. Saw apartment. Went for it, as most places seemed to be coming available Aug 1st, and our chances of finding and moving into a house before then seemed pretty slim. Contacted more people about housing. Heard back from an elderly P.I.T.A. (Pain In The A$$) landlady wanting to rent a 3br house, got lectured on fiscal responsibility, budgeting, and her fixation on numbers. Ugh. J was feeling worse and worse, so he saw a doc, got a chest x-ray. Not pneumonia, just bronchitis and a sinus infection. *sigh of relief* J lost his voice. I did a conference call w/ J's PI, because J couldn't talk. Moved into apartment July 1. Discovered that broiling hamburgers in a baking dish works okay when you have very limited cookware. Urban camping, complete with sleeping bags and camp cookware in the apartment. Saw another house, found out we were second in line on that one. Talked to P.I.T.A. landlady more, got more lectures on the importance of a budget, said we wanted the house despite her harping about numbers and the fact that "responsible realtors like [she used to be] didn't put our country in the predicament it's in now". over and over and over. *sigh* Felt progressively better, health-wise. Went to farmer's market, bought local pork (OMG DELICIOUS!), fresh veggies from some Amish folk, and stopped at a roadside Pennsylvania Dutch-run stand to get some homemade ice cream from a woman with very burly, strong hands. Signed the lease with P.I.T.A. lady. We have a place to live until the morning of July 31st (the apartment), and for one year starting Aug 1st at noon (3br house). In the short time between, we have a storage unit and will get a hotel room. Oh, and Roo took his first (and second and third... now up to SIX!) steps in the midst of all this. And we unloaded our freight trailer of belongings into the storage unit with some help from J's new labmates. And celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with takeout sushi. And Roo got sick again, putting us in quarantine for 3 days.

In summary, it's been kinda chaotic. But we're feeling better (even Roo, as his latest funk subsides), J is working, Doodle has her train set again, and all is mostly right with our little world. Two and a half weeks until the pollinator conference here (note to self: get crackin' on that poster!), then another week until we uproot again and move into a house! with a garage! all to ourselves! ...just as J heads to the Botany meeting in Rhode Island. Meaning I get to relocate us and our few not-in-storage belongings to the house, then slowly haul more of our in-storage crap to the house and get established. It'll work. Eventually the Gods of Chaos will cut us a break, right? Right?

3 comments:

Lindsey said...

Wow! Sounds like it's never a dull moment around there. SOunds like you will be able to take a deep breath in a month or two ;) Glad you found a house, need to hear more about the place!

Keep us posted!

Amy Duffy said...

I agree with Lindsey! And pics wouldn't hurt either.

Mama bee said...

Alright, I'll work on a house post. But pics will have to wait, as the large computer (which has room on which to store photos) as well as the cord for the camera are in a box somewhere in the storage unit, and will be there until August 2nd.