The move to Aloha, Oregon (a suburb of Portland) went as smooth as could be expected; it’s the aftermath takes a little getting used to. All my best-laid plans to get the high-speed internet/phone/cable installation up and running ASAP went awry when the installer told me the previous tenant’s service provider had cut the existing cables and thus ‘new’ cables would need to be laid – there would be two-week delay in installation. The garbage people mistakenly scheduled service to start two weeks after I requested (and I’m drowning in a sea of cardboard boxes). My watch disappeared off my wrist on moving day, never to be seen again; and the backup watch needed a new battery, which the local Fred Meyer jewelry department doesn’t carry. Oh, and the flu shot I got the week before the move wasn’t enough to keep me from getting the flu. In the past, this stuff would have fried my hide, but this week, it’s all water off a duck’s back for me. My cell phone is getting a real workout, my cough is better, and there are LOTS of places that offer free wifi (like Powell’s Books). Life is good.
Livin’ La Vida ‘Loha
Out of the high-desert environment of the Boise foothills, the air here is soft against my skin; the water also. I’ve got my windows open all night long to catch the whispers of breezes. Yes, it rains a lot (they’re already having a record amount of rainfall this season), but the sun comes out most days, and I marvel how fast the weather changes here. Remarkably, the busiest street in my new hometown is less busy than Eagle Road in Idaho.
The girls have been remarkably good sports about the whole move thing. Their new yard is smaller than our place was in the foothills, and is quite soggy right now from all the rain. We’ve started exploring our walking neighborhood, and they seem delighted with the rich variety of new smells and green grass. So far, none of the cats in our new territory are friendly, as the ones in Boise were, although Rowan is ever-hopeful. And although there were plenty of squirrels in Boise, none ever visited our neighborhood. Here, the furry monsters are sleek and well-fed from eating all the apples growing in my neighbors’ yards. Both dogs instantly figured out that these creatures were NOT cats in any way, and they are quite interested in chasing them.
Today is my first day back at ‘writing’ (since last week’s move), and it feels good; like being welcomed back by a dear old friend. It’s not the state you write in that matters, it’s your state of mind.
