A New House

I've been a little quiet on the blog front lately. I do have a pretty good excuse: we bought a house this week. Well, to be more accurate, we are in the process of buying a house. This morning we had the inspection so I'm fairly confident -- knock on wood -- that things will proceed without major hiccups.

I think this house is a big step in my feeling more settled and connected here in Seattle. This house is in a great neighborhood where I can resume my life that centers more on a bike rather than a car (let's see how much this holds true when the Seattle rainy season kicks in). Regardless, just having the *option* of walking or biking to most of my daily activities makes me happy. For those who know my allergy to home improvement projects, it was remodeled a few years ago and needs no major attention from us.

So, I'll post more pics later, but here's one shot of where you should be able to find us in about a month or so.

Transitions

Just to keep up with the Seattle stereotype, I am sitting at a coffeeshop drinking an americano. I have a moment or two to write because this is the time where my "East Coast day" ends, and the rest of this one begins.

Let me explain. Since moving to Seattle, I have gotten up between 5:30 and 6:00am (usually) so I can start work at the same time as those in Boston, DC, etc. So far, that's worked out really well for the job. I feel more connected with my coworkers than I would if I just caught them on their way out the door while my day was beginning. It helps that I'm a morning person and like to get stuff done and out of the way.

The downside is that it is, in fact, on 2:30 in the afternoon here and I could easily imagine that it's dinnertime and get ready to wind down for the day. Fortunately, an effective medication for this feeling is espresso, which they really do have in abundance here. (My college roommates may remember watching 'Singles' a thousand times at the house -- although this may have just been Nancy and me. Seattle is not *quite* like that.)

Careful with Language

Here's a recent conversation with one of the twins.

Me (just returning from the gym to no one in particular): I'm going to hop in the shower.

Twin: No, you can't do that.

Me: Why not?

Twin: We don't hop in the shower. It's not safe.

Me: You're right. We sit carefully while we take a bath.

I didn't realize that an expression I use all of the time could seem like a call for potential mortal danger. She was right, though, if I were to actually hop in the shower, I'd probably gravely injure myself. (This is after I completely rolled and sprained my ankle -- at the park with the kids. This is what happen when you jump off a slide at the age of 36. It's not pretty.)

First Day of School

Like many people, this week is the start of the school year here. In our house, that means the twins will have their first day at their new pre-school, going twice a week for a few hours. And, in another shift in things, KLC will begin her part-time teaching position today.

I've always liked this time of year. There's something exciting and hopeful about it, even though it's been quite a few years since I actually took a class or did anything officially school-related. (Yes, I'm acutely aware that my 20th high school reunion happens next summer ...)

This year, it means experiencing autumn in a new city and climate. I've always thought that the fall was the best time of year in New England -- a partial reward for dealing with overly hot and humid summers that just happened and the bitter cold of the winters about to come.

I'm assuming things will be somewhat different here. Without sounding like too much of a newbie, but do the leaves change here the way they do there? If not, I will settle for the smell of wood-burning stoves, which is basically all it takes to get me into the autumn-loving mood.

One Month In

It's hard to believe that it's been a month since I left Boston and landed in the Pacific Northwest. In some ways, it feels like I've been here a lot longer, and in others I feel like it's been no time at all. Some things won't change (I still check Boston.com regularly and know that the Red Sox are a lost cause for 2010), but some others have. These include:

* Less free time. This is a no-brainer since I went from being on my own to living with three other people -- including two who often choose to forget that they know how to use the potty.

* Different weather. It's supposed to be in the 70s and sunny here tomorrow, but yesterday it was raining and in the 50s. I actually wore Smartwool socks and clogs in August. Completely new territory to me.

* Costco. I've learned to love it -- or at least like it -- because it's more than just myself to feed. I still, however, get complete stimulus overload every time I walk in the door. (They also had Christmas stuff out the last time I was there and I'm not OK with that this early in the year.)

Probably the most significant difference from a month ago until now is that I have KLC and these two great kids in my life on a daily basis. This is not to say that we all don't have our moments, but overall I miss them -- all of them -- when they are not around. Now, if we could just work on the whole using-the-toilet-all-of-the-time thing, that would be perfect.