So This Is What It's Like - Again.

We are still enjoying the peace and quiet of our new digs. No a/c. No heat (yet). No pool pumps. No helicopters flying overhead nearly clipping our rooftop at 7 am (yes, this happened a lot). No planes. No fighter jets. No trolleys with speakers telling guests the history of Key West. Just quiet. The temps are the same here as they were when we left Key West during the daytime - in the 80s - but we're not sweating (humidity 35% here, not 85%). We were soooo tired of sweating.  It is chilly at night, but we haven't had to turn the heater on yet. (Heater! We have a heater!)


One of our first wishes was to go to Uncle Sam's. It's a hoagie place that is perfect if you're really hungry, hungover, or want something fattening to make you feel satisfied (until later when you feel fat). They make a great (huge) cheese hoagie and have the perfect french fries. The fries are done exactly the same, every single time, and are always just the right amount of crunch and just the right amount of soft. They did not disappoint (other than the fact that the Scottsdale location closed down).  Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm. They've gotten pricy, so we'll have to do this as a treat, but it's worth it (it fed us for 2 days).

Readers of Idiots might remember that one reason we left AZ was because we couldn't meet anyone. We knew two people (that weren't co-workers). They've both moved to Atlanta. Incredibly, one of those 2 people happened to be in Houston when we were passing through with the truck (but we didn't know it), and the other was running a half marathon in Phoenix on Sunday. We went down to surprise her and cheer her on just before she reached the finish line. When she saw us, we all almost burst into tears, but we had to shove her on so she could finish up. Fun times.

Next up? We got another used Mini Cooper! I cried when I sold the last one. I boo hoo'd when I heard the engine of my Miata roar in a kitten-like way as it left my driveway for the last time too. Pathetic I know, but it's my only weakness - well, other than my other ones. We always have a great experience at the BMW dealership, but had some difficulties getting a loan and insurance because of our recent move (due to lack of proof of residency). Long story short, the process took over 6 hours. By the time we left (Michael in the rental, me in the Mini), it was rush hour. And it was frickin' awesome! If I could live in one of those things, I'd be more than happy to (they have come up with camper Minis). They're like a second skin (so are Miatas). The Mini has changed a lot since we owned one last, so there was quite a lot to learn about the thing, but it was still the same feeling. If we get a second car, we'll get another Mini (I want a stick shift again). I'm enjoying the great mileage, especially after discovering we spent $974 on gas for the Uhaul over 3 1/2 days (welcome to life with a Hummer).



We've been taking turns driving the car. Sure, now we fight over who gets to drive it. In a month, we'll be fighting over who has to drive it. Here's what happened when it was Michael's turn.

Can you tell what's happening there? Something black got on our couch and won't come out. Michael used to work for ServPro (many, many blue moons ago) and knew they had a chemical that might work. We passed a ServPro truck on the way home, and Michael stopped in the middle of the street to talk to the guys. Hello? This is not a Caribbean island. Pull the heck over! I can say that the guys did give us the degreaser - for free - so there's that.

We've spent our days calling utility companies, waiting for utility companies, buying things, figuring out how much we've spent, hanging out at the DMV, calling insurance companies, going to the veterinarian, changing our address on everything, and endless other things that are not fun. Yes, job stuff is in there too. We expect to be done with most of this by Thursday, and then look forward to some fun things coming up. Yes, please.

BTW, I still haven't decided on the status of my blogging. I might create one simply called Renee's Blog. We'll see. I'll let this one run through the week.