Actually made dinner for the first time last night in the new place - we’re finally unpacked enough to find things, and at last have enough groceries to consider eating food that you don’t squeeze out of a plastic wrapper. It’s nice to feel almost settled, and i’m getting the commute figured out, although maybe (if the universe hasn’t completely written me off) it won’t be my commute forever. So now that this project is done, it’s time for the next one - find a new job! Danielle has one, at the Made-In-Washington store in Westlake Center. She rides the bus (or sometimes drives - her car, not the bus) into downtown every day, walks around the shops on her break, visits the Pike. I’m so jealous.

Augh! Moving sucks! Danielle and i have starred in a tragic comedy this week and there’s still a couple acts to go before curtain call. From scheduling problems to surprise building policies to driving a huge deisel u-haul truck through Seattle to sleeping on the floor in our clothes because everything was packed, we have really been through the ringer this week. I’m very lucky to have such a loyal little sister, who puts up with me during my daily nervous breakdowns. I definitely couldn’t have gotten this far without her. We still have a few carloads to move, and a couch (Jason !?!?!) and then we can start opening the boxes… Phone doesn’t work yet, mail isn’t forwarding yet, internet is hooked up but doesn’t work, can’t find my digital camera (actually, i know where it is, just can’t get to it) so i haven’t bothered to send anyone any new info or take pictures or anything. Just call my cell if you’re looking for me, and don’t be surprised if i sound like a crazy person.

I know, i know, it’s been forever - but these last two weeks have been nuts! Just a quick bit of news: i’m moving across town, to Seattle, over near the beach district. I’ll be picking up the keys tomorrow! It’ll be my first place on my own (although Danielle will still be staying with me all summer ;) and it’s gonna rock! There’s a pool that opens memorial day and you’re all invited to come get wet!

Okay, so here’s a little anecdote for ya. I confirmed my suspicion that there are good people out there, and some of them even work for the phone company! So since i’m moving, i need new phone service, and verizon (my current) doesn’t serve west Seattle, qwest does. So i call qwest, get the usual run around, and then find out i need to put up a deposit of 100+ just to have long distance priveledges! Apparently, i’m high-risk or something! As if! I’m the model of responsible consumerism! (No laughing!) I was insulted! Why didn’t they just kick my puppy while they’re at it! So after calling a couple friends to gripe, i called qwest back. I started thinking, “Didn’t i have qwest service in Bozeman? Shouldn’t they know i’m a good guy?” I was connected with Mary the-cool-phone-company-rep. After discovering that she works in downtown Seattle and was very enthusiastic about my choice of neighborhoods to move to, we talked Seattle for a bit and had a few good laughs. And then i told her my deal, and she totally just type-type-type, hooks me up with no-hold-barred real phone service, and types right in there “good customer history, previous account” etc. So take that, evil qwest corporate types and cruel qwest credit-checking trolls! There are still human beings working in your customer service dept in Seattle, and i found one of them, and you’ll be getting no deposit from me, thank you! Bwah ha ha ha!

Okay, so since i couldn’t get connected over a dialup and Danielle’s connection got shut off way early, we were unplugged until last night, so i’m just getting to update you all at work today. Needed something fun to do while i’m here, right? Danielle and i made it back to Seattle last night about 7pm, stiff, tired and pretty much criminally insane. We spent waaaaay too much time in the car on too little sleep and were really fidgety and delirious by the time the trip was over. But we survived, and went to bed early (9.30!) and are doing better today.

So, to summarize the weekend, i hung out with a bunch of fun people i hadn’t seen in a while, got Danielle all packed up and moved, and pretty much had a lovely time. Some highlights include: Great dinner at Montana Aleworks (well, appetizers and beer) with Gabbye, Josh, Kris & Megan (have some funny pictures from that, which are forthcoming). Mother’s Day dinner with family (some funny pictures there, too). Nutty roadtrip with Danielle (again, some funny pictures, although for most of the trip we were too tired to be particularly photogenic). Gabbye’s generous hospitality (thanks Gab! You rock! Have fun in Reno!). Catching up with Nate after a chance meeting in the hallway. Driving for 4 hours with Danielle’s fish in a rubbermaid lunchbox (no sharp corners!). Having a nervous breakdown in my first hour home because I couldn’t find my mailbox key (it was in my car, in a cupholder). All in all, a very eventful weekend. I have some photos prepped and ready to upload, will try and get that done tonight. Sorry, i don’t have any pix of me having a nervous breakdown - you’re just going to have to use your imaginations.

I have arrived! Made it to Bozeman ok, there’s a ton of snow on the ground and they almost sent my plane back to Seattle, but at just the right moment the sky cleared allowing us safe passage by way of gravity and a rather rough landing. It’s a little weird to be back, especially since it feels like summer out west and is definitely still winter here (not to mention the whole being-back-in-the-town-i-left-behind thing), but it’s good to see everyone again and Danielle and i are already having a great time together! The Baxter was our first stop after the airport, to greet Christian, Temby, Ty, Brian and (hey, surprise! since when is she is Bozeman!) Kristin! A couple drinks, then a quick stop at the grocery store on our way home to buy breakfast food, which we promptly broke into and made ourselves a midnight omelette before bed. Which leads me to now, me updating you all over a hideously slow (but nevertheless appreciated) aol connection from inside the much-hallowed halls of my alma mater. So here i am; the adventure begins. And with that, i shall retire.