Nanette - Wild Huntress

So, we got a house in about a week. Which is an accomplishment in my book. We did not have to extend the courtesies of my brother beyond their limits, nor did we have to pay for any weekly hotel stays and Mister's allergies, while terrible, did not kill him.

I am already employed. I do a little part-time billing gig with the dentist I worked for in Manhattan. It is typically only 2-3 hours per day and while I was estimating $1500 a month... It's looking a bit more like $1000. Which is scary. That's not enough to cover my portion of the bills.

I began my panicked job hunt this past Monday.

This week I have done 8 phone interviews, 4 in person interviews, signed up with one temp to hire agency, have one job in the bag and I am waiting to hear from the job I really want.

Blah blah blah... The important details.

Potential Job #1 - Dog Hotel Front Desk (20-32 hours @ $11). It is my stand by in case everything falls through. Very similar to Kidville work. Low conflict job. Being insert into a well-oiled machine that already is working wonders.

Potential Job #2 - Front Desk/Exec Admin for a burgeoning contractor (30-35 hours @ $17). It is my first interview, my pick to win... I would be walking into an administrative hurricane and gigantic data mess... just like I am used to and upon proving myself useful, there would be opportunity for raises.

Potential Job #3/4 - Through the temp service - they typically only have people in their employ for approximately 90 days before they are placed - they have a state job that pays $22 an hour as Records Assistant - basically this place only has one HR person who has been trying to do everything and she is drowning. I would love to be on board with that.

OR a university job for some chiropractic/massage therapy school as an office admin that would pay in the ball park of $15 - $20 Depending on Experience.

SOOOOO...  I am a mighty huntress. Able to beat jobs out of the woodwork and select the most prime game for the chase and conquer.

Dear Portland,

New York was hard and from that I have learned.
Manhattan took 2 months to find lodging. Portland, a week and a half.
Manhattan took 3 months to find a job. Portland, I'm giving you two weeks.

Pony up,
Nanette N.

The Eagle Has Landed

The main entryway - Fireplace that is fully functional

Living room continues into dining/kitchen area. 

Kitchen and lookee!!! a dishwasher! 

Hallway - Left to right - bathroom, closet, closet, bedroom, bedroom. 

Bedroom 1

Closet!!!  The size of the entire wall! Storage, I miss you. 

Bathroom... while not palatial, still not a closet. And water pressure! YES! 

Joining the ranks!

We are leaving the ranks of the homeless and joining the ranks of the homed!!

Our application was approved. Mister and I have a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car garage house!

No longer homeless, though we are internet-less until next Tuesday. More photos and things like that then (plus, I will be able to put away our piles of crap that are just sitting in the living room taking up space).

Waiting Games

And Mister thought I was impatient before. Sheeesh.

We have seen approximately 6 houses. We have only put in an application on one. I am very very hopeful but we won't know until Monday. Until then, I am still trying to find another excellent fit. See the thing is... it's the weekend and no one responds. No one wants to meet and show you a house on a Sunday.

So I'm anxious. Still so anxious. Moreso than I was with packing. Pleading with the great out there to just say "yes" to the house! We, I, Want that house!

So much depends on having a house. Getting a new ID. Finding a job. Because, I have learned that with the rush hour traffic, I need to find something close to home if I don't want an hour long commute in non-moving traffic...

Hour long wait in the car vs. hour long wait while stand spooning strangers. 

Portland, you still win. 

I am getting more and more obnoxious with each passing day. I want to settle in and get cozy. But why buy linens when your car is already packed to the gills? Even retail therapy is failing.

PLUS, why buy anything when I don't have a second job yet? Why should we spend the financial stability that is needed to secure a house?! It is time to start looking for free shit to do in the city before I go nuts and drive everyone around me there too.

I started looking at sublets... since this hasn't been the turn around process I wanted. (she says having been here less than a week). I also don't want to overstay my welcome at Brother's house. Not to mention there is a mold problem here that is driving Mister's respiratory system wild. It is so bad that I am starting to have respiratory (coughing, sleep wheezing) issues too.

Okay guys...   pray, send positive thoughts, vibes...   do what you do...   We need this house!!!

Impatiently yours,
Nanette

Roadtripping... Day Four Begins

Summary of the last 3 days.

Corn in the rain. 

Corn at noon. 

Corn at dusk. 

Des Moines was an absolute pit. We stayed at a motel that was infested with tweakers and people looking for a fight. Yes. Let's park our fancy car, filled with all of our favorite possessions, outside drugland, USA. I'm sure the rest of the city is lovely. But we found just such a ripe nugget of crap when it came to our motel, I can say I'm not really tempted to ever go back.

Wyoming... of course... Fast, fast, fast. I booked online for a hotel. The reservation didn't go through. Then we couldn't get a room. Sturgis (a biker convention). We could have been staying with the Hell's Angels! WHAT!? I was really upset about losing the reservation... I made another one. We drove another 2 hours to the next hotel. Walked up the to front desk and they didn't have our reservation either. In my haste, I didn't double check the days and made it for the wrong month. Again, they were booked with bikers. So were the surrounding hotels. I wound up paying full price (yuck) for a "historic" hotel in downtown Cheyenne. Let me just tell you...

Historic means...

• We haven't updated the plumbing in 100 years. You will be standing shin deep in your shower water.
• It's been just as long since we washed the shower curtain, replaced the window AC or shampoo'd the carpets. 
• No pool. 
• No wifi. 
• No breakfast. 
• Really fancy lobby. 

Fancy out of focus lobby. 

But they had really nice shampoo. It was just the cherry on top of a really long day of driving and finding that we didn't have accommodations and it took until 11 to even settle in... yuck.

Finally we go to better scenery though!

Big Sky! Mountains! CLOUDS! 

Yesterday we landed in Preston. We visited my parents briefly then pushed on to Lava Hot Springs. Because that's exactly what you need after 4 days of 8-10 hour driving days - a good soak in the hot springs. We met up with Trent and had a really lovely night. Soaked. Drove to Denny's (it was the only thing open). Came home. Soaked again (Jetted tub!) and tucked in for the best sleep I've had in 2 days.

Today we are pressing forward... 4.5 hour drive. Stop in Boise out near the airport. Then power on to Portland the next day with another 6.5 hour day.

Roadwarrior out!
N.

Good morning, vietnam!

For the first time in my life, I'm the early riser on this trip. Mister is still knocked out. I'm not going to wake him... he's doing all the driving and needs as much sleep as he can get.

Breakfast buffet all on my own? You bet. 

The plan today is to make it to Chicago area for pizza... then to the Devonian Fossil Gorge - simply because it sounds amazing. Then off to Des Moines, IA for sleepytime. It's a 9 - 12 hour day depending on how long we stop at the gorge and the pizza place. The only thing saving our butts is that the hotel checkout times are moving in our favor as we get further out... 

Today - check out at 12pm. That's 1pm Eastern Standard. Heck Yes. Enjoy the sleep, mister... We don't get another time change for 2 days. 

Checking in, Checking out... from Sandusky, OH's La Cuevas Mexican Restaurant and South Shore Hotel. 

XO, 

N

4 states later - NY, NJ, PA, OH

We left at 11am this morning. Some tears were shed as mister's parents waved goodbye. Their baby bird, leaving the nest in a big way.

Now that packing is behind us, this road trip is a blast. Nothing better than talking and singing along with the radio for the first 8 hours of our trip. We stopped at Dr. Doolittle's Roadside Creamery in Pennsylvania and had a burger and watched the locals watch us. It was a weird little dive recommended by tripadvisor. They had laser tag, black light mini golf, a petting zoo and a tiny restaurant called "The Chicken House" that was packed with vintage tables, chairs and 25c. rides. 

Mister napped... as he hasn't slept much. *ahem* last minute packer. 

We got back on the road for another 4 hours... Rain, trees, safely arriving at our hotel. South Shore Inn in Sandusky Ohio. I asked for a King room... and I got a King room with a Jacuzzi. Yes. Please! It may not be modern... It may be the wallpaper and furniture remnants of that phase in the 90/early 2000s that was all about burgundy and beige, yeah, well, it may be that, but it's clean and comfortable and the staff remembers my name already. Customer service, I've missed you. 

Going down for dinner at their little attached mexican restaurant. More tomorrow. 

xo, 

N