Photo Op

No, it's not Pete at work (yet).  While he is traveling, his current job in Denver is not allowing him to do much other than work behind the scenes, shall we say.  So behind the scenes, that he cannot even have his phone with him most of the time and no internet (unless he hops on over to Kinko's)…makes scheduling the move-in (ROTFL) that much easier.

Why do I laugh?  As of today, we STILL do not have firm dates for either our HHE or storage.  I would say this has been by far the most long and drawn out state-side move.  We finally received the inheritance shipment (which was painful for obvious reasons) and the car (not painful, but no gas/no plates/no drive).

We had quite the day yesterday:   a repairman at the house almost all morning, the inherited goods arriving (much later than scheduled) in mid-afternoon, and the Odyssey last night.  To the CDG (Car Delivery Guy's) surprise, the car was dirty!  Really??  You mean no one on the ship bothered to clean off the windows or vacuum the seats?  Sent from Iceland by boat, then driven across the country for days, and I am supposed to be mad because the outside is dirty?

Oddly enough, this is from a man who had the nerve to call me yesterday morning and tell me if I wanted my car, I had to give him $895, COD or cashier's check.  For a dirty car, no less!  I didn't know if he thought I was a complete moron, desperate enough to do anything to get my car (filthy, remember), or just trying to pull a fast one, but it was by far the most ludicrous thing I had ever heard…COD for a car being shipped for a government move.  No, I didn't pay, and never heard the final outcome, but have my car, so frankly, don't care.

We also still have yet to find out when/if our storage can be delivered (I use 'if' b/c just so much has not gone according to plan during this summer & move/fallen apart completely and I am just so over it all)…you know, the boxes of stuff that have sat on their tushies for three years (and counting) in a MD storage facility?  Yeah, that's the stuff we still have no clue about.  I mean NO clue.  We know more about the HHE, just not when it will show up.  Go figure.

So, here we are for at least another two weeks in the Residence Inn.  Not that I mind, but I honestly forget that at some point we will live somewhere besides the family reunion/soccer team weekend haven of Northern California.  We are being introduced to family members of staff and pretty much know everyone on a first-name basis.  At least have a two bedroom, two bath, which is fairly spacious, especially tonight.

Not only is Peter gone, but Caitlin is spending the night at a friend's house. Definitely a boost for her, especially given how few girls we have met so far in our neighborhood.  The boys all seem to be nice, but there is something to be said for girlfriends with similar interests.  And since both Nick and Kelsey are asleep, what with the night owl being out, I should probably get some rest.  However, I just received an email from a friend in Reykjavik, and remember that I forgot (I think) to many this many moons ago. 

My friend Letetia started this company earlier this year.  She realized after moving to Reykjavik that while there may be a lot for kids to do, the language barrier on Icelandic web-sites can be tough to crack at first.  Not all of the web-sites are completely in English, and/or search engines don't always get you to the right place.  So, she created this site in English, Icelandic, and Polish.  It allows you to find almost anything for your youngsters interested in recreation.

Before the site debuted on the web, she realized it might need a few action shots.  A few weeks before Nicky was born, she asked if my girls might be interested in participating in a photo shoot.  I didn't realize the extent of her new project, but volunteered the girls.  I figured with a new baby in the house, they would need to get out a bit.  When the day of the shoot rolled around, it turned out he was really new (5 days), so Pete took them and they spent the day playing chess, jumping on trampolines, eating pizza, you know, the good life. 

I forgot about it for a while, what with the newbie and the upcoming move.  However, after receiving an email in the early summer about its debut, I checked out the site and found a  very focused and familiar child.  So, check it out for fun or review it if you might be on your way to Icyland for a while with your tots.  Either way, go Letetia, it is a great idea and hope it continues to thrive!