Back in the 'hood.

I could write a long and emotional post about the stresses of get life set up in a new state but I'll spare the details for the Ombudsmen of Telecommunications and various other industries. But, back online now and feeling more at one with the world.

Moving house/states is certainly a full time job where you expect to be 'on hold' most of the day. I think I'm not exaggerating when I say I've been dialling the call centres for banks, utility companies, insurance agents, rental agencies, etc for the last two weeks. I'm yet to discover any company that has actually put the customer first. Has resulted in some strong language and threats to a number of staff in call centres. I always explain that I understand that they are not personally responsible but I need to communicate with someone the systemic malfunctions. I am worn down.

It's a strange time of life for me. I'm not doing much. The phone doesn't ring like it used to. We don't have strong routines or responsibilities like we used to. I don't have to be anywhere I don't want to be and I'm not looking for any new opportunities. Every cafe in Perth has a sign up asking for part time staff which, at any other time of life, might be tempting.

I've been doing my share of nesting and sorting through the incredible generousity of friends and family who have stocked up the nursery drawers with over 100 outfits for the lil' bebe. Recycling is a beautiful thing. I'm proud to say I still haven't visited a baby store and don't intend purchasing anything that isn't in the essential category. We'll see if I hold out.

Michael's work is going good. He is juggling his time between saying 'yes' to every invite that comes his way (ie. rugby games, corporate rally car racing, chats with the Lord Mayor, dinners, coffees etc) as well as trying to feel his way around a new city and writing feasibility studies for sites he's just been introduced to. It's a small town and people get to know you quickly for good or bad reasons. Fortunately 'The Firm' have a good reputation around the traps and so most people are keen to meet him if he requests a meeting. He's met some high profile people, mostly without realising it until after the event!!

As you can see in the photos I'm getting huge. The bebe is a good and healthy size especially the head which my obstetrician assures me with a smirk. We have had some follow up scans since being in Perth which detected that one of the baby's kidneys is only partially functioning. This was concerning at first but doctors havs expected us to be reassured by the fact "we only need one of them". All we really know at this stage is it's not life threatening, the bebe is not in pain, it may still rectify itself but most likely will need an operation of some kind between 3 & 6 months of age. It's not a rare condition but requires medical intervention. There is some level of blockage/infection between the kidney and the bladder which has enlarged 1 kidney to about 4x the size it should be.

Having said all of that, Perth is being good to us. We have immediately enjoyed the benefits of being close to family. We see Cam'n'Libs most days. A new tradition is being formed of Food and Documentary nights with them and anyone else who is interested. Someone chooses a documentary to watch and someone cooks up some food. We planned to watch Ewan MacGregor's Long Way Down over the Easter break but we all got hooked immediately and finished the series before Good Friday was over. We love those boys. Cam and Michael have started planning their motorbike adventure as a result.

Time to wrap up for now. I'll get this heartburn under control and then cook some dinner.

Our house, in the middle of our street...

Here are a few quick pics of where we are living. I haven't taken any shots from inside yet but generally it's what you'd expect from a 100 year old home - high ceilings, polished boards, fireplaces in every second room and a great open plan kitchen area out the back. We are lapping up the city life and I'm sure I'll enjoying walking to the city (5min away) when I can bear the thought of walking again. Guest room has an ensuite so come and visit.

Going South

Over the Easter weekend we went down to Mandurah for a day just to have a looksee. I think Mandurah has recently been tagged some of the most overpriced real estate in Australia. Certainly it is not the frumpy little estuary-side village it once was. The growth (as you can see) is ENORMOUS!!!

Still here

We will have to wait until the end of the week until our phone/internet connection is established at our new digs. Until then I'll continue to feel a bit disconnected to the virtual world. Here's an update on us....

Our time in the serviced apartment was not as fun as I thought. It was small with not much to distract you except the tv and pool...of which of got my money's worth. There is a degree of novelty in being able to watch TV from the bed, shower and toilet. I embraced it all.

The container from Sydney arrived last Tuesday - 6 sleeps ago. Two boys unloaded every box and piece of furniture into the various rooms and then a team of unpackers came and put everything in drawers and on shelves. They were hindered by the fact there is no built-in storage in the house but over the week we have been inventive with how things are stored.

I am getting fatter by the day and so even though I had the luxury of unpackers the sorting of all my junk has been tedious. I do a little bit a then sit down and watch some daytime television to recover. Then I go back to do a little bit more. You can call it nesting but it would be more satisfying if I could pick things up off the floor!

The house is fabulous with a guest room with ensuite already made up for whoever wants it. The nursery is being neglected until I've culled more of my collectables. There are some trunks I had full the same memorabilia since high school. This afternoon I decided that I no longer need to create a monument of my own life so tonight a lot of my life is in boxes for the roadside connection. I'm not grieving at all. I'm going to be introduced to another life in a month or two so a new collection will start without even trying.

That's all for now. Pictures to follow of this barefooted chic who is increasingly let it all go in favour of comfort.